Sideshow
by HelloDarlingLove
Summary: Help me if you can. It's just that this is not the way I'm wired so could you please, help me understand. [M for violence, language, brief suggestive situations]
1. Chapter 1

"Daddy, what is it?" the raven-haired child asked, peering into the booth with wonder.

"It's not real son," the man replied tiredly, wishing his odd child wouldn't drag him to these oddity sideshow events. "It's just a man in a costume."

His dad moved on to the next booth but the boy lingered, staring through the bars at the creature seated in the middle of the small viewing box.

The alien lifted his head to look back, magenta eyes shining in the dim light. He smiled slightly. The child smiled back, then turned to run after his father as the next set of humans came by to gawk and point.


	2. Chapter 2

Dib smiled as he reached to hand the girl a five. She took his hand and drew the bill away slowly, hips swaying as she put the money between her teeth and flipped upside down on her pole. He leaned back and watched, hands folded in his lap. This wasn't his scene, especially considering most of these girls were so close to underage they were probably still seventeen in a different timezone, but he was trying to fit in and seem like he was enjoying himself. The precinct had suspected this club of trafficking for some time now and him being the youngest member on the force, they'd chosen him to scope it out.

Warmth on his ear startled him and he turned his head quickly. A brunette, older than the other girls but still young enough to attract customers, smiled and reached to grab the collar of his jacket, tugging lightly. She straightened and started walking away, heels clicking. Dib rose to follow her, giving the girl on stage one last look. He was only human. She smiled and wagged goodbye at him before turning her attention to the only other customer at the stage.

The woman led him to the back rooms, drawing aside a curtain and gesturing for him to enter. He stepped into the dimly-lit room and looked around, frowning. Hands slid around his hips, turning him slowly and pushing him to sit on the edge of the round bed. Lips caressed his throat, hands expertly removing his coat. He swallowed thickly as she pressed him back against the bed, sidling onto his lap and grinding her hips down against him. His gun dug into his lower back painfully.

"You look like a cop," she whispered in his ear before giving it a nip.

He forced a smile as she kissed along his neck and chest slowly, working her way down.

"Do I, now?"

The woman sat up, his badge in her teeth. She took it between two fingers and turned it over, looking at it, then at him, brow raised.

He sat up on his elbows, making a face.

"What, we can't have fun too?"

"My girls are clean," she said, sliding off him and crossing her arms. Dib got up and smoothed his shirt out, hoping it was dark enough for her not to notice the uncomfortable tightness in his jeans.

"We've heard rumors of trafficking," he replied, reaching to take his badge from her and clip it on his belt.

"Absolutely not. My girls are all of age, cop."

"Detective. And that still doesn't make it right."

"Hey," she snapped, "They come to work for me, I don't force anyone into this."

"You're exploiting fresh college kids who can't pay their bills."

"Yeah, we all make a living," she looked him up and down, smirking. "You're telling me you never plant? You never push allegations? You have numbers to make up, just like the rest of us."

"I don't do that," he replied, picking up his coat. "But yeah, okay, we all make a living. Just let me look around, alright?"

"Make it quick. If the owner finds out she'll eat you and me alive, and that's not as good as it sounds," she licked her lips and turned, flapping the curtain open as she stepped out.

He regained his composure and stepped after her. He explored the club thoroughly, checking IDs and poking around the back rooms, avoiding the 'occupied' ones. The brunette followed him silently. He couldn't find anything much incriminating other than a few fake IDs. He turned to her.

"Get these girls out of here," he said, holding up the fake IDs he'd confiscated. "You know I can't do anything since the Mann Act was overturned but keep it clean."

"You done?" she put her hands on her hips, pouting. Business never seemed too far from her mind.

He looked around once more and his brow furrowed as he noticed a door near the back of the stage.

"What's that?"

"What?"

He started walking towards the door, tucking the IDs in his pocket. She hurried alongside him.

"Just a utility closet," she said, glancing over her shoulder at a working girl who was approaching them. She waved and the girl nodded, trotting away as best her heels would allow.

"Open it." He stopped at the door and looked at her.

"I don't think I have a key for it."

"I said open it."

She bit her lip, shifting.

"Open it," he demanded again, reaching behind him to touch his weapon. She reached into her bra and pulled out a key, not looking at him as she leaned to unlock the door and push it open. The woman stepped back and glared up at him.

"Well go on," she snapped.

"Don't you move," he warned before drawing a small flashlight from his pocket and clicking it on. A set of wooden stairs led down into darkness and he descended slowly, shining the light around when he reached the bottom. The woman watched him from the top of the stairs. He found a light switch on the wall at the bottom of the stairs and flipped it on. Dirty lights flickered to life, buzzing overhead with harsh fluorescent. A hallway stretched in front of him and he approached the first door on the right, peering in through the small window and shining the light inside. A young girl dressed in nothing more than a large tattered tshirt looked up at him from a corner, lifting a hand to pull her hair away from her face to see. He moved to the next room quickly, peering inside. Another young girl, no older than fifteen or sixteen. Dib checked the next three rooms after that, finding young girls in each. He pulled out his cellphone and started to dial but paused, squinting at a windowless door near the end of the hallway. He approached it and reached to turn the knob, pushing it open slowly. A figure huddled in the corner silently.

"Hey, are you alright?" he asked softly, shining his light into the room. The figure lifted its head and red eyes gleamed at him. Dib stepped back quickly, startled. The shadow blinked and shifted, crawling forward on hands and knees into the light of the hall. Dib stared at the creature, mouth open. It stopped at the edge of the doorway and reached out a hand to him, head bowed. It was naked, its skin pale green all over.

"You found the prize," the brunette said as she stepped towards them, heels clicking harshly on the concrete.

"What.. What is this?" Dib asked, staring at the creature.

"We don't know. Owner bought it off a sideshow attraction up in Utica. Some of the customers like it. Big bucks. Exotic."

The creature lifted its head to look up at him again, hand still outstretched. A childhood memory clicked and Dib's eyes widened. Fifteen years ago, his father. Sideshow.

"Its very obedient," she continued, arms crossed over her bare midriff. There wasn't much on her that wasn't bare. He pocketed his flashlight and slid out of his jacket.

"What are you doing?" she asked as he knelt down and put his coat over the creature's back. It flinched when touched and lowered its head again without a sound. He didn't respond, taking it's hand and drawing it to its feet. He pulled the hood over its head, careful of the two velvety stalks pinned against its skull, and pulled the coat tight around it. It didn't object, lifting its hands to hold the coat closed around it.

"Hey," she stepped forward and grabbed his arm. He turned quickly, pulling from her grasp.

"You stay right here and don't you move. You're under arrest." He touched the creature's shoulder and encouraged it forward. It went with him easily, head down as it followed him to the stairs.

"Boss isn't going to just let you take him," the woman called. "Girls are replaceable but that thing.."

He led the creature upstairs and glared at the congregation of working girls that had gathered around.

"Get out of here," he said. They turned quickly, hurrying to grab clothes and purses and coats. He wouldn't have to tell them twice. The lone man sitting at the stage wisely took leave as well.

Dib led the creature outside into the dark, glancing around before escorting it to his vehicle. He unlocked and opened the back door.

"Here now, get in and lay down," he said. The creature obeyed, crawling into the back seat and laying down, still huddled inside his large trenchcoat. He closed the door and called the district, reporting what he'd found.

Officers arrived quickly, blue lights flashing around the dark parking lot. They rescued six girls, all underage, the youngest being twelve. The brunette was taken in for questioning and would be facing serious charges. Dib handed over the fake IDs though he doubted they'd find the working girls. If they were smart they'd disappear and rethink their lifestyle choices.

"Hey, good job Membrane," his supervisor approached him as the last girl was carried out.

He smiled tiredly.

"It gets to you. Four years and it still gets to you."

"I know, but you did good," the older man clapped his shoulder before going to help clear the premises.

Dib fished his keys from his pocket and slid into his vehicle at the edge of the parking lot. He started it up and pulled away from the building, not glancing into the back seat until he was out of sight of the others. The creature was still exactly where he'd left it, curled up on the back seat under his coat.

Dib looked forward again, wondering for the first time what the fuck he was thinking. Too late now. He drove home in silence, pulling into his garage and parking. He got out and opened the rear door.

"Hey, come on," he almost asked, unsure how to address the thing. It got up and crawled out, standing before him. He locked the car and led it into the house, the living room.

"Wait here," he said as he went to his bedroom. He searched for a few minutes, coming up with an old pair of jeans and a sweater that didn't really fit him anymore. He returned to the creature and set the clothing on the coffee table beside it.

"Here, you can wear these."

Dib left to his bathroom to give the creature some privacy. Dib washed his face and sighed, rubbing at his chin as he looked in the mirror. He needed a shave. He picked up his razor and turned on the warm water but a loud crash startled him and he hurried back to the other room. The creature was perched atop his filing cabinet in the corner. The clothes he'd given it hung off its gaunt body, making it appear even thinner.

It stared wide-eyed at his cat, whom was sniffing the overturned potted plant in the middle of the floor.

"It's okay," he said, reaching down to rub the cat's back. It purred and leaned up into his touch, tail lifting. The cat twined between his legs a few times before moving towards the kitchen, meowing. Dib looked up at the creature again and offered a hand to help it down, wondering how the hell it had gotten up there so easily. It shied away and he lowered his arm.

"Alright, it's alright," he said softly. "You're fine."

He moved into the kitchen at the urging of Ellie and took down a can of kitty food. The cat jumped up onto the counter and rubbed against his hand as he opened the can and scraped food into her dish. He gave her ear a rub and tossed the can away. The creature watched silently from atop the cabinet. Dib glanced at him, then opened the fridge.

"Are you hungry?" It looked absolutely starved, nothing but bone beneath the green skin. He looked around and had no idea what to even offer it. Maybe some leftover lasagna? He brought out the covered dish and set it on the counter, taking down two dishes. He microwaved the food, returned the dish to the fridge, and carried them to the living room.

"Here," he offered, setting the bowl on the coffee table and then sitting in a chair across the room with his own, giving the creature space.

It peered down at the bowl, antennae lifting off its head slightly and twitching. It then looked away to the cat again, disinterested though the hunger in its eyes was clear. Dib noted this as he ate.

When finished, he rose and carried his bowl to the kitchen sink. Ellie meowed for more food but he scratched her chin instead, smiling.

"No, fatty. You're on a diet now, remember?"

He looked over the counter at the creature thoughtfully.

"Come here."

It glanced at him nervously, not meeting his eye, and began climbing down off the cabinet slowly. It stepped around the counter but kept a distance, eyeing the cat warily. Dib shooed Ellie away and waved for the creature to come into the kitchen. It did as told, head lowered.

"Look," Dib said, opening the cabinets. "I want you to find whatever you want, okay?" A brief horrific thought crossed his mind as he imagined the creature's carnivorous potential but he brushed it away. The creature looked around the kitchen briefly but didn't move. Dib turned and left, hoping maybe some space would bring it around to feeling more comfortable. He went to his office and sat down to his computer with a sigh.

What has he brought into his house? He turned his monitor on and typed in 'Utica sideshow'. He found a few news articles featuring the 'Utica Sideshow and Freak Exhibit'. Apparently the seasonal sideshow had closed down ten years earlier due to numerous complaints from concerned parents about the oddities and 'freaks' featured in the show. He found a few photos of ponies with 'horns' taped to their foreheads, two-headed piglets and snakes, a 29-inch tall woman ('Worlds smallest woman!'). A little more digging found a dark, blurry image of the creature he remembered as a child sitting in its folding chair in the gated booth. The creature now in his kitchen.

'Real live alien!' the caption read. He clicked the forum and scrolled through the comment section.

'Guy in a mask'

'I remember this. terrifying'

'so fake'

'lol whats that even supposed to be. ?'

Dib bookmarked the sites and brought up his closing reports due that night. He switched to his reading glasses as he started working. There was definitely something he would omit.


	3. Chapter 3

Dib sat back after a couple of hours and moved his glasses to rub at his eyes, yawning. He checked his watch then saved his work and turned the computer off. He'd submit in the morning. They knew he always got his reports in so there wouldn't be a fuss.

He went to check on the alien and found it curled up on the bar counter, a box of sugary cereal tucked under one arm. It seemed to be sleeping. Dib smiled, but it was short lived as he caught sight of the kitchen. Bits of apple core, cereal boxes, orange peels, empty vanilla and syrup bottles, chewed candy wrappers were all scattered across the floor and counters. A paper bag of brown sugar was torn open, empty, on the island counter. Almost every cabinet and the fridge were open. He sighed and brushed his hair back before pushing the fridge shut and starting to pick up the debris.

The alien didn't stir while he cleaned up. He eased the cereal box away from it and then scooped it up carefully, carrying it down the hall towards the spare bedroom. The alien shifted in his arms and yawned, showing sharp teeth and a pointed tongue. It looked up at him drowsily, then suddenly twisted and struggled away, scratching him in the process. Dib dropped it as claws scored across his arm and he stepped back quickly, holding his arm against his chest. The alien skittered away, bursting into the closest room, his bedroom, and squeezing under the bed. Dib stared after it, then looked down at the three bleeding cuts on his arm. He muttered a curse and took himself to the bathroom to wash up.

When finished, he went to the spare room and laid down on the small bed, setting his glasses on the night stand. He didn't mean to fall asleep like that but passed out in minutes.

The creak of floorboards stirred him and Dib opened his eyes slowly. The room was still dark, not quite morning yet. He reached to the nightstand for his glasses and sat up when he didn't feel them, turning the lamp on. The alien looked up at him quickly, glasses in hand, and turned to flee the room, taking them with him unthinkingly.

"Hey," Dib called, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed and reaching to feel his way along the wall to the doorway. He made his way down the hall slowly, turning on the light when he found it.

The alien watched Dib struggle from beneath the human's bed. He glanced down at the glasses in his hand.

"Come back," Dib called out in frustration. He paused near the bathroom and sighed, lifting a hand to rub his eyes tiredly. The alien slid from beneath the bed at his tone and crawled towards him slowly, head down. He stopped before the man and reached up a hand to stroke at his 'paycheck', as some of the girls called it. Dib jumped in surprise at the invasive touch and looked down at him. The alien was sitting on his knees, hand upheld, head down. Dib slowly knelt down in front of him and reached to take his glasses from his other hand, sliding them on. He touched the alien's hand to lower it.

"Look at me," he said. The creature reluctantly lifted his head, crimson eyes meeting his.

"You don't do that here," Dib said quietly. "You don't do that anymore."

The alien stared at him a moment, then looked away.

"Do you understand?" Dib gently prompted.

The alien nodded and Dib touched his hand again. He flinched and the human grew angry, getting to his feet. How could anyone do this to something, human or not? In his job he saw the worst humanity had to offer, but it didn't numb him any to the suffering in the world. Dib brushed his hair back and offered a hand. The alien glanced up at him nervously before taking his hand and getting to his feet.

"You're safe here, alright?"

The alien nodded again and pointed to the bandages on Dib's arm. He glanced down at it and shrugged.

"It's alright. I understand."

He looked away, antennae lowered against his head shamefully.

"What is your name?" the man asked. He didn't respond, staring at the floor.

"I'm Dib."

"Dib," the alien whispered. "Zim."

Dib smiled warmly.

"Its very nice to meet you, Zim."


	4. Chapter 4

"Zim," Dib called from the kitchen as he rinsed his empty coffee mug in the sink. "I have to go now."

Zim stepped into the living room slowly and looked at him, frowning. He'd spent the night on the guest bed as Dib had directed but hadn't slept, the human's words going over and over in his mind.

Dib lifted his coat from a stool by the bar and slid it on.

"Will you be alright here by yourself?"

Zim nodded, averting his eyes. Dib clipped his badge to his belt and picked up his keys.

"You sure? Today is going to be long."

Zim nodded again and the man smiled.

"Alright. Help yourself to whatever. I'll be back later." He felt like he was talking to a child, and in some ways the alien behaved as one. He wondered how old the creature was, and made note to ask him later. Dib left with a wave. Zim heard the garage open and the car pull out. Once he was sure the human was gone he began wandering the house, taking in everything. He spotted what Dib called the 'cat' curled up on top of the cabinet and avoided it. Something about the animal unsettled him.

Something bleeped from the human's office room and he investigated, curious. A rectangle symbol flashed on the computer and he approached it, sitting in the padded chair and reaching to press a key. An email opened as the screen brightened and the Irken tilted his head as he read.

 _'Hey Membrane, here's what I dug up;_

 _Apparently the attractions show shut down because some parents complained that it was too graphic and mature for kids, go figure. Nothing much about what happened to the exhibits though, or who was playing in it. The horses were sold to a farm in West Virginia and one of the sword swallowers joined the state fair. I did find a police report from about a month before it closed. The details are sketchy but apparently one of the employees was attacked by one of the exhibits. Didn't say much, just that the guy spent five days in the hospital with injuries sustained from the tiger they kept, though the doctor on staff then said there was no way a tiger did that. They buried it though and after they closed no one bothered pursing it. Hope this helps your investigation._

 _Det. Steven Barnes, Utica PD'_

The email had two attached photos; one of the hospitalized exhibit employee and an up-close of one of the bite wounds.

Zim sat back quickly. Flashbacks to the dark little booth, the metal seat he sat in for hours each day. Human faces passing, staring in at him. The young man in the photo, dragging him from his booth at the end of each day and shoving him into his little cage next to the 'magical' white tiger. Maybe the man was too rough that day, or maybe he'd just had enough. He shut his eyes, remembering the feel of claws and fangs sinking into flesh, tearing, blood splashing.

He shook his head quickly and stood, turning to leave the room.

* * *

Dib nodded to the receptionist as he passed and made for his office. Today would be a long one going over the details of the brothel case. Obviously he didn't mention the alien in his reports.

"'Morning Membrane," his supervisor stepped in as soon as he set his bag down.

"'Morning Charles. What do you have for me?"

"It's pretty open and shut. We're detaining the manager but we haven't located the owner yet and she's not giving it up."

Dib nodded, pulling his laptop out and booting it up.

"Figures. We'll find them. They never stay hidden long."

"That's what I have for you," Charles said, pulling a piece of paper from his folder and laying it on Dib's desk. "We have a lead."

He picked up the paper and read it over, then looked up at him skeptically.

"Monroe's?"

"She mentioned it during interrogation then clammed up. Its worth a look."

Dib nodded and folded the paper, tucking it into his pocket.

"I'll go this afternoon."

Charles smiled and gave him a wave before leaving. Dib sat down and Googled directions to the small butcher shop near in the east end. He'd passed it once or twice but had never actually been inside. It wasn't too far from his office so he made plans to stop by after lunch.


	5. Chapter 5

A bell tinkled pleasantly overhead, announcing his arrival as he stepped into the shop. Two cold counters filled with various cuts of meat sat before him, a small cash register and modest tip jar atop one. He looked around, hands in his pockets, reading over the day's specials up on a blackboard.

"Good afternoon!" a middle-aged man emerged from the back and greeted him, wiping his hands on his grimy apron. "What can I get for you?"

"Do you have any fresh short loin?"

"Absolutely. I'll have to go cut you some."

Dib nodded, "That's fine."

The man smiled and turned, stepping into the back again. Dib slipped around the counter, glancing down at a safe under the counter. When he heard the chop of the butcher's knife he stepped through the plastic divider into the back, feeling the instant drop in temperature. Halves and quarters of meat hung from hooks on the ceiling. He noticed an office near the back of the store and stepped towards it but a weight pressed into the center of his back and he stopped.

"That was fast," a feminine voice spoke behind him. "That little bitch rat me out, did she?"

She reached around him, sliding his gun from its place on his hip and nudging him forward. He held his hands out and walked towards the office. The butcher glanced up from his table but went back to his work quickly, ignoring them.

The woman reached around him again and opened the door, pushing him inside. She stepped in after him and shut it as he turned around to face her.

"Have a seat, detective," she smiled, weapon unwaivering.

"You know, it's illegal to threaten a U.S. government officer," he said as he sat down in an uncomfortable leather chair. She sat on the edge of the desk and crossed her legs.

"And it's also illegal to steal personal property and lie on your reports but you don't seem bothered."

"You need to turn yourself in," he said, folding his hands in his lap harmlessly.

"Are you really here to talk about that?" she replied, leaning forward. He avoided looking down her low-cut dress just as expertly as he'd avoided looking up it when she sat down.

"Fine. Where did you get him?" he asked.

"There you go." She sat back. "I bought it off a sideshow in Utica, but you already knew that. Fifty grand."

"That's a lot. Why?"

"Look at it," she laughed. "Its exotic, its odd. My customers are always looking for their next big thrill. They don't care if its real or not, just like the kids who go to the sideshow. Its exciting, who cares what it is."

"Surely someone questioned it."

"Oh of course, but if they wanted to keep coming back they kept their mouth shut." She reached behind her and opened a drawer, taking out a small black ring box.

"And god how they keep coming back. My business tripled in nights."

"Why?"

"Why?" She laughed. "Have you tried it yet, hmm? That thing will do anything you want and then some. Its quiet, obedient, and very, very fuckable." She drew the last word out like she was savoring the taste.

Dib made a face and she smirked.

"What, telling me you're too good for that, detective?"

"I don't believe in sexual exploitation, of anything."

"Oh you're such a cop." She leaned forward to hand him the box. He took it slowly.

"You have no idea what you're dealing with. It took years of.. _training_ to pacify it." She nodded at the box. "And that."

He opened the black box and picked up the small square chip from inside, turning it over in his fingers delicately.

"That goes in the computer on its back."

"What is it?" he asked, returning it to the box carefully.

"Its personality."

He looked up at her, brow furrowed.

"On this little chip?"

She nodded. "Its not a friendly thing, not originally. Without that its rather palpable though."

He frowned, looking down at the box in his hand.

"Why are you giving me this?"

"The exhibit owner gave it to me and explained. I thought it would be a good idea to put it back, see what it was like." She sighed.

Dib tilted his head up at her, squinting.

"What do you want?"

"I want it back," she replied curtly. "After you've had your fun." She stood and opened the door, offering him his weapon back but keeping her own trained on him. He took it from her and slid it into its place.

"I'll be back for you."

"I'm sure."

He stepped out, nodding goodbye to the butcher and leaving the shop. He pocketed the ring box and drove back to his office, troubled.

* * *

"What did you find?" Charles startled him out of his thoughts and he looked up, setting the chip down on his laptop.

"Nothing," he replied. "I'd keep an eye on it but the place was.. clean."

"Damn, well thanks for checking it out."

Dib forced a smile and nodded, then picked up the chip again once his supervisor left. No bigger than a bottle cap, it was purple with gold etching across it, lines of alien information. He returned it to the box and pocketed it again, trying to focus on his job for the rest of the day.


	6. Chapter 6

Dib sighed as he locked the garage door behind him and shrugged out of his coat, draping it on the counter.

"Zim?"

He leaned to rub Ellie's back as she threw herself against his legs, then stepped over her.

"Zim?" he opened the door to his bedroom and peered inside. "Are you okay? It's Dib."

He looked into his office and noticed the email open on screen. Brow furrowed, he sat down to read it over and look at the photos.

"I remember that," Zim said quietly from behind him. He glanced over his shoulder at the alien sitting in one of the reading chairs by the window.

"Did you attack that man?" he asked, typing a quick thank you and then turning his chair to face Zim.

"Yes." The alien was looking outside at the streetlights, their soft glow reflecting in his red eyes.

"Do you remember why?"

"No."

Dib nodded and looked down at the bulge of the ringbox in his pocket.

"Did he hurt you?"

"Yes. Every day."

"What was different about that day?"

"I don't remember."

Dib decided not to press it and smiled, standing.

"Are you hungry? I meant to grab something on the way home but I forgot."

Zim shook his head and reached up to draw the shades closed, darkening the room further. Dib clicked on the table lamp.

"Okay. I'm going to cook something for me then."

He made his way to the kitchen and looked in the freezer, feeling uninspired. He decided on some frozen chicken and set it in the sink to thaw. Ellie jumped onto the counter, meowing demandingly. Dib took down a kitty food can, opening it into her dish and mixing a little dry food in with it. She purred and munched happily.

His thoughts revolved around the day's encounter as he went to the bathroom and ran a shower. Why would she give him the alien's 'personality'? Was she hoping he'd return the alien of his own will after seeing how apparently dangerous he was?

He stripped out of his work clothes and stepped into the warm water stream, sighing. He had lied to his supervisor about the butcher shop, that was serious. He doubted she'd stick around there long after his visit today, but still he was getting into dangerous territory with sluffing off his job duties. He had to figure this creature out though. Something about it compelled him for answers. He would ask Zim about the chip that night, maybe after dinner.

* * *

Zim glanced up as the human stepped from the bathroom, rubbing his hair with a hand towel. The alien was crouched on the floor by a bookshelf in the living room, an encyclopedia spread open before him.

"Doing some light reading?" Dib stepped over and leaning to look over his shoulder. Zim turned a page, engrossed. A drop of water fell from Dib's hair and landed on his hand. He flinched, jerking his hand back and rubbing it vigorously on his shirt. He moved away from the man quickly.

"What's wrong?" Dib asked, frowning.

"You're wet."

"Yeah, I just took a shower. Did you get a papercut?" he inquired as the Irken licked the back of his land. Zim shook his head, looking down.

"Then what?"

"I can't be wet. It burns me."

Dib tilted his head, draping the towel over his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know." How odd. He sat down beside the book and took the ring box from his pajama pocket.

"I wanted to ask you about something." The setting drew up a memory of the night he'd proposed to his ex-wife. He brushed it away.

"Someone gave me this. They said it belongs to you." He reached out and set the box on the carpet. Zim leaned and took it, turning it over in his hands before opening it. The chip fell out onto his lap and he picked it up.

"Do you know what that is?"

"Yes," Zim replied, holding the chip up to look at it closely. "It's an Irken PAK microchip."

"Irken? Is that what you are?"

He nodded.

"Do you know what's on it?"

"No."

"Can you find out?"

Zim nodded again and offered him the chip.

"I need help," he said as he shifted so that his back faced Dib. He pulled his too-large shirt off to expose his PAK. A small portal on top of the PAK slid open, revealing the mechanisms inside. Dib leaned to look curiously, carefully not to drip anywhere. Grey wires twisted throughout the interior, cocooning tiny machines and mechanisms that ran soundlessly. The other orbs on the PAK pulsed with swirling pastel pink. It was really quite beautiful, and certainly fascinating.

"To the right," Zim said. "There are slots on the inner wall."

Dib looked at the chip between his fingers, hesitating a long moment before sliding it into the only empty slot. He sat back and the port slid shut again. Zim didn't move, eyes glazed over. Dib was about to ask if he was alright when the alien rose slowly.

Dib got to his feet and Zim looked over his shoulder at him. A metallic leg unfolded from his PAK, snapping across his chest and sweeping him into the wall. Dib fell to the floor as he hit, head bouncing off the wall sharply. He gasped as hot white flashed through his vision, pain bursting through his skull like a time-lapsed flower bloom. Zim looked down at the sweatshirt and picked it up, sliding it on as the extension disappeared back into his PAK. Dib put a hand to the back of his head and sat up.

Zim stepped over to his coat, searching the pockets and taking out Dib's handgun. He slid it from its case and looked it over before flicking the safety off and moving to the door.

"Wait," Dib shifted and got up, wincing. "Where are you going?"

Zim glanced at him briefly before opening the front door and walking out. Dib hurried after him but he was gone in an instant, vanished into the darkness. He stared out into the starless night a long moment before shutting the door and leaning against it, putting a hand over his face.


	7. Chapter 7

"Membrane, you're looking rough today," Charles stepped into his office.

Dib sat back and smiled.

"Long night," he replied.

"Yeah? You're in for a long day, too." He handed him a folder. "Your girl is dead. Brunette in lockup ID'd her."

"What?" he leaned forward to flip open the folder and skim through the papers and photos, finding a gruesome image of the victim among them. It was her alright, the woman from the butcher shop, though he could barely tell from her mangled appearance. "What happened?"

"Someone called about noise coming from her apartment on southside around 4am. Officers went to investigate, found her dead in her kitchen. Stabbed twelve times with an unidentified object and her face was crushed in with blunt force by what we suspect is the same object."

"Is there a suspect?" Dib sat back, tossing the folder on his desk and folding his hands behind his head.

"Not yet. No leads, either. This is a passion murder. Nothing was taken. Someone wanted her dead."

Dib nodded slowly, lowering his arms as he stared at the photo.

"Alright, I'll start on it, thanks."

Charles nodded and left. Dib closed the folder and stood, pulling his coat on.

* * *

The detective stepped under the police tape and unlocked the apartment door. He stepped inside, the scent of blood heavy though cleanup had already done their job. Everything not considered evidence had been left, the family called to come clean out the apartment later that week. He walked around the small flat slowly, taking in all the details he could. A passion murder. The door hadn't been forced. He checked the bedroom and found the window broken, cardboard taped in place over it until it could be repaired. He stepped around the broken glass carefully and pulled up a corner of the cardboard, looking down three stories to the street. No human could climb that high. He pressed the tape back down and went to the kitchen, hands in his pockets as he looked around. Cleanup had done a good job, aside from the smell. That would have to just wear away with time. Something caught his attention and he stepped over to the fridge. A large dent defaced the front of the door, placed there with some force. He remembered seeing it in the file photos and turned to look at the fresh scratch across the counter. Reaching out, he ran his fingers along the deep groove in the counter. This, too, would have taken a considerable amount of force to accomplish. Looking up, he saw a hole punched in the ceiling over the stove. The stab wounds, unidentifiable object. He thought back to the metal extension folded away in the Irken's PAK. Dib drew his cellphone as it vibrated.

"Membrane."

"A murder was just reported in Madison, I want you to get up there."

"Madison? What ever happens there? That's not our district."

"Same deal, stabbing with an unidentifiable object. We might have a serial on our hands."

Dib glanced at the counter.

"Alright. Forty-five, with traffic." He hung up and left the apartment, locking it behind him and returning the key to the landlord waiting downstairs.


	8. Chapter 8

Dib arrived at the little gas station at the edge of Madison and Oneida. He showed his badge to the officer at the scene and then ducked under the tape as she held it up for him to pass. Two investigators conversed near the covered body and one turned to him and shook his hand as he approached.

"Membrane? Your superior said you were coming."

"What do you have?"

"Stabbing. Two wounds, entry and exit. Unidentified weapon. Whatever it was, it went clean through."

Dib checked his watch. He'd made good time getting here. "Forty and your coroner still hasn't showed?"

"Yeah, he was wrapping up a suicide when I called. Should be here soon. We're a small town, we don't usually see two deaths in one day," he replied, eyeing Dib. Look out, big city Norwich detective. Dib scoffed silently.

"Show me?"

The Madison detective leaned down and lifted the tarp. Dib crouched down to peer at the body. Sure enough, one stab straight through the heart. He straightened and looked around.

"In broad daylight?"

"Gas station owner was closed for lunch when it happened, self-serve." He pointed out the victim's car parked by one of the pumps. The gas tank was open, nozzle on the ground. "Seems he was attacked while getting gas."

"How'd he end up over here?" Dib asked, tracking the distance with his eyes. It was at least a dozen meters between the vehicle and the body.

"Your guess is as good as mine. Wasn't dragged. Almost seems like he was thrown here, though that doesn't make sense."

Dib stepped around the body carefully, moving towards the vehicle and giving a wide berth to any path the murderer might have taken to the body. He leaned to look inside the car, then stood on his toes to see over the top of the SUV.

"Hey," he called. The investigator walked over.

"Did you see this?" Dib gestured to the top of the vehicle. Four deep dents sunk in the car roof, one almost deep enough to puncture through to the interior.

"What the hell.."

"I'd say whatever made those, did that," Dib gestured at the body and looked at the investigator. The man shook his head and drew his phone, walking off as he dialed his superior. Dib stepped off the scene and returned to his car, picking up the folder in his passenger seat and flipping through the photos to the close-ups of the stab wounds. Same type of wound. He leaned his head back against the seat and closed his eyes. He created this, this was his fault. The Irken was killing, but why? He opened his eyes quickly and called his superior.

"Have there been any reports in Utica?" he asked when Charles picked up.

"Utica? No, none I've heard of. I have note out to let me know if there are any more homicides like these. Why?"

"Just thinking ahead," Dib replied, reaching to program his GPS. "Us, now Madison. Seems the killer is heading north."

"I'll call up there and give them a heads up."

"Alright." He hung up dialed Steven Barnes.

"You'll let me know first?" he confirmed as he pulled onto the highway.

"Absolutely. See you in a bit."

"Alright." Dib hung up and tossed the phone into the passenger seat. He reached to open his glovebox and took out the loaded glock there, setting it on the dash next to the GPS.


	9. Chapter 9

"What's this about, Membrane?" Steven asked as he poured two cups of coffee and set one in front of him at the table.

Dib leaned forward on his arm as he stirred the cup, though he hadn't added anything to it.

"Just tracking, you know how it is."

Steve sat down across from him and poured milk into his cup.

"Right. Well whatever your idea is I hope you're right."

Dib sighed, pulling off his glasses to rub at his face tiredly.

"Remember I emailed you about that sideshow?"

"Yeah?"

"I need to find the people who were working there."

"Good luck," Steven sat back and crossed his arms. "That was ten years ago and a place like that wouldn't exactly keep meticulous employee records anywhere."

"I know. But I think I might know who the next victim is." Dib wrapped his hands around his mug, letting it warm his fingers.

"What makes you think that?"

He shook his head, looking down at his cup. Steve leaned forward.

"You came all the way up here, you're sitting in my kitchen, you can tell me something."

Dib stared at a few bubbles in his coffee. When the last one popped, he nodded and set it down.

"Alright." He told Steven everything, starting from the brothel and ending at the most recent murder in Madison, just hours ago.

Steve stared off at the open window. Their coffee was cold by now, mostly untouched.

"You realize that's insane?"

"Of course."

"Well," Steve stood and disappeared into the living room. He returned a moment later with his laptop and opened it. They sat in silence as he typed.

"Josh Bendle, " he said finally as he read over the attack report from a decade ago. He did a quick DMV search. "1171 Maple Street."

Dib entered the address into his phone and stood quickly.

"Ten minutes from here."

"Want me to go with you?"

"No. I'll call you."

Steve nodded and saw him to the door.

"Hey, Dib."

Dib paused to look back at him as he zipped his coat up.

"You doing alright? You know, since the divorce and all."

"Yeah. Thanks."

Steven nodded.

"Be safe."

Dib smiled grimly and hurried to his car. He didn't bother with GPS, he was familiar with Utica. He had grown up here, after all.


	10. Chapter 10

Dib checked his watch impatiently as he banged on the door a second time. 7:02pm. Too much time had passed.

A young woman opened the door as he was about to knock again, a sleepy child fussing in her arms.

"What?" she asked, irritated. He held up his badge.

"I need to see Josh Brendle."

Her expression quickly shifted to concern.

"Why, what happened? He's not here."

"Where is he?"

"Still at work, I guess. He's late coming home. Is he in trouble?"

"Where does he work?"

"Katurra Kitchen," she replied, eyes wide as she stared up at him. "Please, tell me what's wrong."

"Stay inside, lock your doors," Dib said. "You may be in danger."

He ran back to his car as the woman disappeared back into the small house.

* * *

The restaurant was dark, a lunch and breakfast bistro that closed around 4pm. Dib shined his light in the window by the door as he peered inside. The place was empty, only a few lights on in the kitchen behind the bar. He circled the building quickly. A single car was parked near the dumpsters. He found the delivery door swung ajar. Dib stepped inside, gun in hand as he looked around.

"Police," he called as he moved through the back room cautiously. "Anyone here?"

He stepped around the corner into the kitchen, weapon raised. A garbled sound drew his attention to the floor and he breathed a curse. Josh stared up at him vacantly, hands twitching over the gushing wound in his abdomen. Dib quickly grabbed a dishtowel off the counter and took a knee next to him, brushing his hands aside to press the towel against the wound. Blood soaked through rapidly.

"Josh, listen to me," he said loudly. "Who was your employer at the sideshow, ten years ago? Think, Josh."

The young chef, barely twenty-seven, coughed and gasped, eyes closing.

"Josh!" Dib snapped and he opened his eyes, looking up at him.

"H-Henry," he wheezed, hands trembling over Dib's. "Pacino."

"Henry Pacino?"

He nodded slightly, gasping as his eyes slid shut again. Dib quickly called 911, giving his name, location, and badge number as he requested an ambulance. He kept one hand pressed on the soaked towel.

"Stay with me Josh," he said as put his phone on speaker and set it next to them. "You're going to be alright."

The young man's fingers curled tightly against his hand for a moment, then went slack. Dib checked for a pulse and started CPR, yelling at him.

Sirens approached quickly. He was still giving CPR when EMS entered the building. One of the ambulance personnel pulled him away as another checked the body. Dib watched as they declared him dead and then turned away, slamming a hand against a freezer door and shouting a curse. The EMS took his arm and led him from the building, making him sit down on the front steps. His phone was brought to him and he thanked the woman absently. He called Steven.

"Dib?"

"He's dead."

"Jesus, I'm sorry."

"Henry Pacino. Find him."

"Got it. I'll text you." Steve hung up and Dib dropped the bloody phone into his pocket. He would have to stay until the scene was secured and he'd given a statement. He looked down at the blood drying on his hands. So close. So fucking close.


	11. Chapter 11

Dib's phone rang and he fished for it in his pocket as he slid into his car. He'd spent the last two hours speaking with the local law enforcement on scene. He answered without looking at the caller ID.

"Membrane."

"Dib, I need you to come back." His supervisor. He sat back, keys in hand. Another murder, so quickly?

"Sir?"

"Something of interest was found at the Madison scene."

"Alright, I'm on my way." He hung up and texted Steve.

 _'Anything?'_

His phone buzzed as he started the car up.

 _'Not yet. Still searching.'_

 _'Headed back to Norwich. New details.'_

 _'Got it.'_

Dib watched as the body was wheeled from the building and loaded into the coroner's van. He sighed and started his drive back.

* * *

"Sit down, Membrane," Charles pulled out the chair and then circled the table and seated himself. Dib did as told, scooting in closer to the table and folding his hands on top of it. He glanced around the small interrogation room.

"Another body was found near the Madison scene," Charles said as he pulled some photos from a folder and began laying them out on the table. Dib leaned to look.

"Where?"

"In the woods behind the gas stop, about a quarter mile in. Private property. That's the landowner."

Dib pulled a photo closer, frowning. A man in his 60's, dressed in camo and an orange hat. He'd been shot twice in the chest. Charles watched him closely as he looked through the photos.

"What happened?"

"His daughter found him. He didn't return from walking the property and she went looking. We time the death a little after the gas stop event."

Dib shook his head, looking up at him.

"This is a gunshot victim though, not consistent with our serial."

Charles drew a small clear baggie from the folder and slid it across the table at him.

"Do you recognize that?"

Dib picked it up, looking at the spent bloody bullet inside.

"Its a .40." He felt a chill run through his chest and set the bag down. Charles nodded and took another evidence bag from his coat pocket, setting it in front of Dib.

"I think you've been missing this."

Dib stared at his gun on the table and nodded. Charles sat back and crossed his arms.

"Now, you're not a suspect here. I know you're not responsible for the serials we have, and I don't think you'd be stupid enough to kill someone in cold blood and leave your weapon at the scene."

Dib sighed and rubbed his face. Charles continued.

"However, I need to know how your PD-issue weapon ended up at a murder scene just minutes from our serial."

"It was stolen from my vehicle on-scene," Dib said, looking up at him and folding his hands on the table. "I was stupid, left my car unlocked."

"Why wasn't it on your person?"

"I had unstrapped it for the drive. I forgot it was on the passenger seat."

Charles stared at him silently for a long moment and then nodded.

"How did you know about Josh Brendle?"

"He used to work with the brothel owner in Utica," Dib lied. "I took a guess."

"How do you know that?" he squinted.

"I asked around."

"So you think the killings are in relation to the brothel?"

"Possibly."

Charles nodded slowly and stood up, pushing his chair back.

"Your actions are irresponsible at best, Membrane. On top of the fact that you didn't submit an incident report on the stolen weapon. I'm taking you off the case. You're suspended indefinitely."

Dib stood up quickly.

"Sir, I am so close to this. Let me see the case out."

"You're off. Get out." Charles stood and turned, opening the door. Dib glanced down at the photos, then brushed past him quickly. A security guard followed him as he collected a few things from his desk and then escorted him to his car. He handed the guard his parking pass and badge and left, dialing his phone as he drove.

"Anything?" he asked when Steven picked up.

"There are sixty-three Henry Pacino's in the database. One in New York."

"Where?"

"His last know address is in Utica still, but it hasn't been updated in five years and his license expired."

"I'll go, what is it?"

Steve gave him the address and he thanked him. Dib asked his phone to pull up directions for the address but then realized he hadn't been home in quite awhile. Ellie needed to be fed. He turned around.


	12. Chapter 12

"Hey kitty girl," Dib said as he stepped into the house and she threw herself against his legs. He smiled and scooped her up to put her on the counter. Ellie meowed, weaving around the toaster and headbutting his hip as he took down a can of food for her. Dib emptied the food into her dish and was immediately forgotten in the ecstasy of eating. He rubbed her back and then opened the fridge for himself. Nothing appealed to his in-existent appetite so he shut the door hard. A magnet fell from the side of the fridge, a small photo floating down with it. He leaned to pick them up, starting to put them back without thought but then paused to look at the picture. He touched the black and white outline of the face. Tiny eyes closed, fists held close to the chin. She'd been playing with her feet that day, but near the end of the appointment she'd gone to sleep. Dib smiled and put the ultrasound of his daughter on the front of the fridge. It was the last time he'd seen her.

He turned the porch light on and left the house, locking up behind him. Dib opened the glove box and took out his personal gun. A few smudges of blood dirtied the handle from when he'd replaced it to the glove box after the restaurant incident. He checked the magazine, then slid it into his coat pocket and pulled away from the house.

* * *

The address was set in a small neighborhood near the northern border of Utica. Dib parked down the street and got out, looking around as he started up the sidewalk cautiously. Most of the homes were dark with inactivity, a few seemingly abandoned. He passed one home with a dirty yellow porch light on, toys and boxes piled on the patio. This wasn't the most attractive side of town. He slid a hand into his pocket, feeling the weight of the weapon as he approached the address. The two-story house was dark and silent, but a vehicle in the driveway hinted at an owner present. He circled to the backyard and opened the screen door to the rear porch. The backdoor was unlocked and he opened it, peering inside. A single light flickered over the kitchen sink. Dib stepped into the house slowly, drawing his weapon. He moved through the living room and paused at the creak of a floorboard overhead. Dib started up the stairs quickly. The steps opened into a small hallway and movement caught his eye. He pushed open the bedroom door to his left. A slim figure stood by the bed, staring down at the sleeping man. Dib raised his gun slowly and red eyes turned on him, gleaming in the moonlight filtering through the curtains.

"Step away," Dib said quietly. The man in bed stirred and Zim turned back to him, a sharp-tipped extension sliding from his PAK.

"I said step away!" Dib shouted now, moving forward. Henry sat up quickly, startled awake.

"The fuck is going on?"

Zim lifted the extension higher and Dib ran forward. He couldn't take a shot in the dark and risk hitting the man. He threw himself against the alien, wrapping an arm around his throat and pulling him off balance. Zim twisted in his grasp and slammed him against the wall, surprisingly strong for his lithe frame. Dib's gun clattered to the floor as the alien seized him by the throat, claws digging into his flesh. Zim threw him to the floor and turned back to the old sideshow owner. The man had scrambled from bed and was trying to make a break for the door but Zim stood in his way and he backed up quickly, bumping into the dresser and feeling behind him for any kind of weapon.

"Get out!" he shouted. "I.. I called the police!"

Dib twisted on the floor and grabbed Zim's boot. The alien whirled around and slammed the tip on the extension into the floor inches from his face. Dib tightened his grip but the Irken pulled away easily. He turned back to the man and Dib lunged forward, wrapping his arms around the Irken's legs and pulling him to the floor. Zim kicked out at him and turned, rising on his knees and bringing fists down on Dib's face angrily. Dib raised his arms to fend him off and the alien got to his feet. Dib rolled quickly as the extension stabbed into the floor again. He got up and rushed at the alien but the metal cracked down across his skull, sending him sprawling to the floor beside the bed. The room darkened as Dib struggled with consciousness. Zim turned back to his intended victim.

"Stop," Dib called out as the alien approached the man. Zim glowered down at Henry as he cowered by the dresser. The human smelled of piss and sweat and fear. His pale lips moved but no sound came out, wide eyes staring up at him. He raised the extension to strike.

"Zim," Dib shouted, pushing himself up on his arms shakily. "Stop. It won't help you."

The Irken stood still, glaring down at the human that had taken so much from him.

"This won't erase that hurt," Dib said quietly as he got up.

Zim looked over his shoulder at him silently, frozen in place. Dib stared back, swaying slightly on his feet. The alien looked back down at the man, then turned and was gone, fleeing the room in a whisper of movement. Dib sank to his knees and put a hand against the floor, the other pressing against the side of his head. Blood flowed between his fingers, warm and strangely comforting. He closed his eyes and breathed a heavy sigh.


	13. Chapter 13

Dib sat with his head in his hands, staring at the concrete between his feet. He looked up as Henry Pacino was led from the house gently by a Utica officer.

"Stop, wait," the older man said when they passed him. Dib lifted his head as the man reached down to take his hand, folding it in both of his own and shaking it rapidly.

"Thank you. Thank you! You saved my life."

Dib forced a smile and nodded.

"Stay away from it," Henry warned as the officer encouraged him to keep moving. He released Dib's hand and pointed at him, hand trembling. "Stay away. It will kill you. That thing is a fucking monster."

Dib watched as the officer led him to a patrol car and helped him into the back seat. They hadn't been able to make any sense of what he'd said since they arrived. Chalked it up to shock, for now. The old man had blathered on about a monster and Dib being his guardian angel. An EMS had looked at Dib's head and wrapped it but said he would need stitches, which he had no intent of getting. He was sporting a beautiful shiner from the alien's beating, among other bruises and gashes, but he'd come out pretty okay considering what could have happened.

"Dib Membrane?" He looked up again at his name and nodded, getting to his feet slowly.

"I have orders to detain you." Dib looked down as the officer took a pair of cuffs from his belt and stepped behind him. He lifted his arms obligatorily as he was patted down, his phone, keys, and gun removed, and then cuffed behind his back. He went to the car silently, sliding in the back and looking out the window at the house. Other officers combed the property, investigating every nook and cranny fruitlessly. They'd find no trace of the intruder, the 'monster'. Just a suspicious, suspended Norwich detective.

* * *

Charles slammed a hand down on the table in front of him, making him jump.

"Damnit Membrane, this is shit."

Dib stared at the table silently.

"First the Brendle kid, now this Pacino. What is your angle?"

"Just a hunch," Dib replied.

"Fucking hunch," Charles spat, pacing over to the door and back. "That's not going to satisfy shit. You just so happen to arrive right after that kid was murdered, then you show up to shadowbox with some fuckin' thing in this guy's bedroom. I'm not buying it."

"I saved his life, isn't that satisfying enough?"

"You know damn well its not." Charles pulled out the chair and sat across from him, leaning forward on the table.

"Look, Dib, I'm trying to keep your ass out of prison but you've got to help me out here."

Dib sighed, rubbing his temple, and nodded.

"Okay. Henry Pacino used to run a sideshow in Utica, about a decade ago. When it closed down he sold an asset to the brothel owner."

"The murdered woman?"

"Yeah. She 'employed' this.. _asset_ for the past decade. When we busted the place up, I'm guessing this asset took the opportunity to exact a little revenge."

"You're saying a goddamn prostitute is our murderer?"

Dib nodded, leaning an elbow on the table and putting his forehead in his hand.

"Well who is it, what's her name?"

"I don't know."

"What's her description?"

"Don't know."

Charles sat back and shook his head.

"Un-fucking-believeable. You know that? That's bullshit. That Brendle kid?"

"He worked with the sideshow. With the.. prostitute, in particular. They were abusive."

"And the whorehouse wasn't a vacation."

Dib nodded. Charles stared at him thoughtfully for what felt an eternity before getting up and leaving the room. He returned a few minutes later with a brown envelope and held it out. Dib took it slowly and opened it, peeking inside. He pulled his badge out out and ran a thumb over it before looking up again questioningly.

"I don't know your methods, and you're damn sure going to answer for this, but you're back on it."

Dib rose and clipped the badge to his belt. He stepped past his supervisor to leave.

"Membrane," Charles caught his arm as he passed and he glanced at him.

"Don't make me regret this."

Dib met his eye a moment and nodded.

He checked his possessions out at the front desk and made a call, then sat on a bench in front of the station as he waited, watching people going in and out of the building. He stood when he saw Steven's car pull up.

"Jesus, you look rough," Steve said as he pulled away from the curb and Dib clicked his seatbelt.

"Rough night," he replied, leaning his head back against the seat and closing his eyes.

"You saved that old guy though."

"How do you know?" Dib side-eyed him. He smiled.

"I know everything around here. Small town attitude. Plus working with the PD doesn't hurt either. So what happened?"

"I followed up on the address. I arrived just in time, jumped the guy."

"Putting yourself out there. You're lucky you got away. So the.. alien, got away?"

Dib sighed and nodded.

"Yeah, he left before I could stop him."

"What now?"

"I've been thinking about that. I don't have any more leads."

"No one else who worked there?"

"I don't know. It might be over."

"Do you really believe that?"

Dib stared out the window and didn't reply.

* * *

Steven parked behind his car and Dib thanked him as he got out. He promised to keep in touch and waved as Steve drove off. Dib fished his keys from his pocket and looked at the house down the street. Pacino likely had been released by now, after giving his statement. Dib glanced around, then started walking towards the house.

Henry cracked the door cautiously but threw it open as he recognized Dib.

"My savior! Come in!"

Dib stepped past him into the living room, looking around. The place seemed different in the daylight.

"Please, sit!" Henry gestured at the couch and Dib obliged.

"What can I get you? Coffee, tea?"

"Nothing, thank you."

The older man nodded and sat in a chair across from him, grinning.

"What can I do for you?"

"You know about him," Dib said quietly. "I want to know."

The man's smile slipped and he sat back, nodding.

"It, _he_ , is alien." His thick Italian accent sobered, giving him an aged Godfather feel. "He was here to destroy us. I did us a favor by culling him for so long."

"How'd you do it?" Dib asked.

"I bought him off traders in Paris," he replied, staring into space as he remembered. "I used to travel, seeking out the exotic for my show. They didn't say where they'd gotten him, they just took my money and handed him over in chains. I brought him back to America and he was with me for ten years. He brought in a lot of money. Everyone wanted to see the 'real, live alien'!" He chuckled. "He was good for awhile. He didn't speak, didn't resist. Just went back and forth from his cage to his booth and he sat there all day while the kids, they pointed and gaped and stared."

Dib watched him as he spoke, seeing the passion he must have once had for his show, however cruel it was.

"They'd given me this.. this computer chip, in a little box. Said not to give it to him, it was dangerous. I was getting bad reviews after awhile. After all the computers and technology came, nobody was excited anymore, they were bored. I wanted to make the show more exciting, I wanted more from him. I put it in him, his little backpack. He hurt one of my summer assistants, a high school boy. We said it was tiger, tiger was killed." He shrugged. "We took it back out. I sold him to woman from Norwich when we closed down."

"The bordello owner."

Henry looked up at him, frowning. "Bordello?"

"Yeah. She sold him to perverts nightly."

"Oh, I did not know." He was quite for a moment. "How did you find him?"

"I broke up the club and took him home," Dib replied honestly. "She gave me the chip and I gave it to him."

The older man nodded, "You were curious?"

"Yeah, I guess you could say that."

"He's dangerous. He'll kill us, all of us."

Dib sighed and rubbed his eyes tiredly, then rose.

"Do you know where any of your other former employees are? Anyone else he'd want to hurt?"

"No, no.. That was long ago. I'd forgotten about it myself."

"Thank you for your time," Dib stood and offered a hand. "I wasn't here."

Henry stood as well and nodded quickly, shaking his hand.

"Oh no, not since late night, haven't seen you."

Dib smiled and took his leave. He slid into his vehicle and sat for awhile before starting the drive home.


	14. Chapter 14

Dib pulled into the garage but didn't get out of his car right away, turning it off and leaning back against the seat. He stared at the visor, counting the discs in the CD holder before reaching up and pulling the visor down. He slid two wallet-sized photos from beneath the CD sleeve band and looked at them. A young man and woman smiled at him from one, happy in their youth and innocence. Young and in love, just like all the story books and movies. He turned the photo over.

 _Dib & Liss_

 _2012_

Four years ago. Young and in love, just like the stories.

He spread the other print from behind it. Black and white, taken from the doorway of the hospital room. Dib leaned over the bed, her arms wrapped around his shoulders as he buried his face in her neck. It looked sweetly tragic on the surface, a raw image of grieving parents embracing one another, but even then he'd felt the deterioration of their marriage, the washing away of love in the outcome of what should have been a blessing.

They'd found out at 14 weeks. It was rare, only 1 in over 4000 pregnancies. Dib had done so much reading about anecephaly after the diagnosis that he could spell the word forward and back, could quote medical journals. It was all he could do at the time to feel useful, feel like he had any semblance of control.

Liss elected to be induced at 25 weeks, declining abortion when they'd found out but not wanting to carry full term. Three hours into the labor they lost the heartbeat. Two hours later she'd given birth to their daughter. The hospital had offered to take family photos of them after the birth _('we can put a hat on her so you won't have to see it')_ but Liss declined. She asked they take the baby away immediately, she didn't want to hold her, didn't want to see her. Dib respected his wife's wishes but he wondered still, what had she looked like? Did she have his nose, Liss' lips? Did she have a lot of hair or none at all? Ultrasounds only offer so much by way of details. Only enough to tell them that their daughter wasn't whole.

They'd taken the baby away quietly, wrapped in a blanket. Liss had the ashes in a small marble box with the birth date and time on it. Dib didn't argue about who should get them in the aftermath of divorce, he felt she should stay with her mother. Three months of bereavement counseling, first as a couple, then just him. Liss had stopped going after the first few appointments. Dib continued for awhile but as time went on he found there was nothing to say, and nothing that could be said.

He turned the photo over.

 _2014_

Her birthday would have been in August of that year. Their divorce had been finalized by then.

Dib tucked the photos back under the band and got out. He slid the key into the deadbolt and turned but it didn't click. He tilted his head slightly as he grabbed the doorknob. It turned in his hand, unlocked. He drew his gun and opened the door slowly, stepping into the dark house. Ellie meowed, strutting up to greet him, and he relaxed slightly as he closed the door behind him and peeked in the kitchen before moving into the living room. Nothing seemed out of place, nothing was taken. He searched the house thoroughly and, finding nothing, returned to the garage entrance door. He must have forgotten to lock it when he left, though the idea seemed unlikely.

Exhaustion hit him like a wave as he turned the deadbolt and he shrugged out of his coat, dropping it on the hook by the door and kicking his shoes off below it. He shed his clothes on the way to the bedroom and crawled into the welcoming arms of his bed. He was briefly aware of Ellie jumping up next to him and pressing into his side as she curled up to sleep too. One hell of a life.


	15. Chapter 15

Dib opened his eyes to darkness and turned to look at the clock. 12:00 blinked at him. The power must have tripped at some point. He groped the bedside table for his phone and turned onto his side when he didn't find it. He noticed an unfamiliar shape in the corner and squinted. Narrow red eyes stared back.

His eyes widened and he sat up quickly. Daylight filtered through the curtains, the room bright. He looked to the corner quickly but nothing was there. Dib rubbed his face and shook his head as he shifted to the edge of the bed. He glanced at the clock. 11:00. Had he reset it during the night? He tried to remember but the tendrils of sleep were melting away, dragging his memory with it. He stood and fished his phone from his pants pocket on the floor. Two missed calls and three texts. Dib sat back down to read them.

'Wake up damnit Dib'

'Hey, answer me'

'It's Steven, something happened, call me'

He dialed and waited through two rings.

"Dib, get up here now."

"What's going on?" He shouldered his phone as he stood and began pulling his jeans on.

"A landowner called about something that attacked his dogs early this morning."

"Dogs?"

"Yeah, a fox got in his chickens last night and he was out tracking it down. His dogs cornered something by a lake and it killed them. He shot at it but it got away."

"And why does that concern me? Not my district. Not even a workday for me." Dib asked, putting the phone on speaker as he pulled a sweater over his head.

"He's claiming it was green and had red eyes."

Dib picked up the phone quickly and turned off speaker.

"Where?"

"Meet at my place, I'll drive."

Dib hung up and collected his scattered necessities before heading out the door.


	16. Chapter 16

"What did the responding officer say?" Dib asked, watching out the window as Steven drove them away from the city.

"Well you can imagine. He said to call if there were any other issues."

"What's our reason for going?"

Steven shrugged. "It's my day off, I said I'd head out, poke around, calm his nerves. I didn't mention you."

"Is that smart?"

"Is it stupid?"

Dib didn't say anything else.

* * *

The property owner approached quickly as they pulled into the address. Dib got out and looked around as Steve spoke with the man. He made his way over to them after a few minutes of poking about.

"Mr. Lassen is going to take us to the lake where he encountered the, ah, concerning being," Steven explained and Dib nodded. Mr. Lassen took the lead, talking the whole way as he guided them across the property and into the trees behind his house.

"It killed my damn dogs," he said, shaking his head. "I looked right at it and I swear it wasn't any animal. It just sliced them up like nothing."

"I'm sorry for your loss," Dib replied. "You say you shot it?"

"Yeah, I shot at it twice. Think I hit it but I don't know, it ran off so fast."

"Did you follow it?"

"Hell no, I got out of there."

He paused to point out an aging tree.

"I was looking for the fox that tore up my chickens and my dogs were sniffing around here. I saw this damn thing drop out of the tree and take off running and them dogs, well they just start tearing after it."

"Where did they go?" Steven looked around warily.

"Come on." He stepped over a fallen branch and led them on. Dib briefly wondered how he knew his way in the forest. The naked trees all looked the same to him.

They soon stopped at a small clearing and he pointed out a caved-in bank by the edge of the lake.

"It was down there when I came up on it. My dogs were standing up at the top and it was making a damn racket, snarling and such."

"What happened?" Steve asked as Dib approached the cave-in. The ground dropped away into a six-foot diameter hole, shallow water lapping gently at the bottom. A black and white Border Collie was dead at the bottom, fur matted with mud, water, and blood. Dib knelt down and strained to reach, taking the dog's collar and pulling it out of the hole. He laid it on the ground gently and looked up as the man approached.

"Tessa, girl.." He took a knee and smoothed the fur between her eyes. Dib stood and looked around. He spotted the other dog a few yards away, a black German Shepherd. Lassen followed his gaze.

"He was chasing it after it got out of this hole. Tess just jumped right down with it and it tore her up then took off and he chased it. He caught ahold of it about there where he's at and got it good but it just.. It just killed him, I don't know."

Dib stepped towards the black dog, scanning the ground as he did. The dog's throat was ripped out like it was nothing. He passed the body slowly and noticed a splash of dark green on the ground a few feet beyond it.

"Where did you shoot at it?" he called over his shoulder.

"Right about where you're standing," the man replied. "I yelled and it turned around a minute." Dib nodded and turned to him.

"Go back to the house, lock up, stay inside. We're going to look around a bit more and we'll come back and talk with you."

The man nodded and leaned down to scoop up the Collie before heading back the way they'd come. Steven approached Dib and looked down at the green.

"What is that?"

"I think it's blood," Dib replied, tracing the ground with his eyes. He spotted another splash and started a trail, following the color. Steve drew his gun and looked around as he stayed behind him.

Dib followed the drops and splashes to what looked like an overgrown, abandoned barn from the last century. He stopped and looked up at the old building, plant life growing through and around it as nature attempted to reclaim its space.

"You're not going in there," Steve said. Dib approached slowly, following the trail to a broken window. Green smeared on the wood of the sill. He glanced back at Steven.

"Stay out here, I'm just going to look."

"You have your sidearm?"

Dib patted his hip and carefully climbed in through the window. His shoes crunched in leaves and glass as he dropped to the rotted wooden floor of the stall. He brushed a vine aside and ducked into the center of the small barn, glancing around. The green trail led down to a small tackroom near the large, lopsided barn door. Dib slid a hand into his coat and touched his weapon but didn't draw it as he approached the room. Reaching out, he pushed the protesting door open and looked inside. The alien looked up at him and snarled, lips lifting to show pointed teeth. He was situated between two rotted barrels, knees up to his chest to hide his body. Dib stepped into the room slowly and crouched down a few feet in front of him. The alien growled again, red eyes gleaming.

"Zim," Dib said quietly. "I came to find you."

The alien glared and fell silent, antennae twitching. Dib shifted closer and pushed one of the barrels aside carefully, exposing the Irken more. He looked down at Zim's mauled arm wrapped around himself and Zim glanced down as well, lowering his arm slowly to show the bullet wound in his ribs. A fresh pump of blood flowed as he removed the pressure of his hand. Dib reached to help but the alien's antennae quivered and he looked up, tensing and cringing away as Steven appeared in the doorway. Zim bared his teeth and Dib looked over his shoulder. Steven stood staring, mouth open, weapon aimed at the alien.

"Put it down, Steven," Dib said quietly, not moving. Steve lowered it slowly, not taking his eyes from the creature.

Dib looked back to Zim but he was leaning his head against the barrel, eyes slipping shut. He quickly slipped his coat off and reached to pull the Irken forward, wrapping it around him. Steven knelt next to him cautiously and offered his knitted hat. Dib took him from him with silent thanks and pressed it to the wound. Zim flinched slightly, fingers twitching, and Dib moved his hand to hold it in place as he scooped the fading alien up carefully.

"We need to get him out of here," he said. Steven nodded. They maneuvered the alien through the broken window together and Dib carried him through the woods as they made their way back towards the man's house. Steven ran ahead to talk to the property owner inside so Dib could get Zim into the car without being seen.

Dib found a blanket roll in the trunk and spread it over the alien still wrapped in his coat, covering him from sight. He moved into the front and turned in his seat, reaching in the back to keep pressure on the wound. The hat had soaked with blood but it was better than nothing. Steven soon came out and got in quickly, starting the car and pulling out of the driveway.

"What did you tell him?" Dib glanced up at his friend, whom had yet to fully recover his color.

"I said we didn't find anything unusual and he should call us if he sees anything." His voice was tight, hands gripping the wheel as he drove without taking his eyes off the road.

Dib looked into the back again silently. By the time they reached Steven's house his arm was shaking from holding the pressure at such an uncomfortable angle. They quickly took Zim inside and Steve spread out some towels on his kitchen floor for Dib to lay him out on his side. Dib took his coat away and tossed it aside as Steven ran to the bathroom to grab his first aid kit. Dib removed the blood-soaked hat slowly and drew a folding knife from his pocket, pulling the alien's odd clothing up to cut away from the area. He looked down at the wound and sat back quickly. Tiny grey wires twisted and slithered inside the hole, curling over and around one another like writhing maggots. Dib covered his mouth a moment before leaning to get a closer look, wanting to confirm what he saw. Blood had stopped flowing now, and he could see clearly as the wires moved. Steven came up beside him and crouched down, making a disgusted sound.

"What the fuck is that?" he asked, setting the kit down and snapping it open.

"I think.." Dib recalled the mass of wires in the Irken's PAK. "He's mechanical. At least partially."

"That's fucked," Steve replied, taking a bottle of peroxide and some gauze pads from the kit. "That's.. I don't even know what that is man, what are we doing?"

Dib took the items from him, opening the bottle and dipping it against a pad before gently cleaning blood from the area. He kept his eyes off the writhing wires, creeped out and slightly nauseated by the sight as he cleaned the wound.

"Should we wrap it?" Steven asked. Dib glanced up at him, then took some gauze and bandaging from the kit. If for nothing else, so they wouldn't have to look at those wires. Steven helped roll the alien as Dib wrapped the bandaging around his ribs and tied it off. He cleaned and dressed the dog bites on the alien's arm as well. Thankfully those had no wires in them. Just nice, normal dark green blood and lacerated green flesh.

"Let's move him," Dib said quietly and Steve helped lift him carefully. They carried him to the guest bedroom and laid him on his side on the bed, then covered him with a blanket and left the room.

"Shit," Steven exhaled, lacing his hands behind his head as he paced into the living room and then through the kitchen. Dib followed, sighing before starting to gather up the towels.

"Leave them, I'll worry about it later," Steve said, washing his hands a little too vigorously.

"No, it's my problem I created, I'll clean up after it," Dib replied, bunching up the towels and carrying them to the laundry room. When he returned, Steven had emptied his coat pockets on the table and was soaking the blood-stained coat in one side of the sink. He'd tossed his hat in the garbage. Dib sat down at the table and reached to poke through the contents of his pockets. Some of this shit he didn't even know was in there, when had he last washed that coat? He pushed old mint wrappers and a movie stub around absently, enjoying the sounds of the bubbling coffee pot that had been turned on. Steven sat across from him and leaned back in his chair, reaching to pick up the movie stub.

"Ride Along was good," he commented, tossing it down again before getting up to check the coffee.

"Yeah." Dib crossed his arms on the table and leaned on them. "I'm too old for this shit, Steven."

"You're thirty-two, you'll live," he replied as he took down two mugs and a bottle of creamer.

"Might retire early."

Steve glanced at him, then smiled.

"Sure, go on. Want me to call Riverside Golden Home while you're at it?"

Dib touched his dark hair, frowning. "Are my greys showing?"

"Fuck off." Steven poured the coffee and set a mug in front of him, plopping down in his seat again and blowing steam off the top of his own.

"Why didn't you ever marry?" Dib asked, counting bubbles in his coffee mug. He always seemed to be having coffee here.

"Marriage is for grown-ups, that's not me."

"You're old, Steven. You're almost forty."

"Thirty-six isn't almost," he rebuked in mock offense. "Besides, then I'd be acknowledging that I ever grew up and that's not cool."

Dib smiled and sipped at the warmth.

"What're we going to do with him?"

He shook his head but didn't have to think of a response as a sound startled them both. Steven stood first, moving around the table and heading towards the guest room, grabbing his weapon as he went. Dib followed quickly.

The alien writhed on the bed, claws tearing holes in the bedsheets as he screeched again. Dib pushed past Steven through the doorway and sat on the edge of the bed next to him.

"Zim?" he called, touching his shoulder. The Irken's lips curled back from his teeth as he hissed, eyes fluttering. Dib noticed blood seeping through the bandaging and carefully pulled it away to see what was happening as Steve stepped closer warily. His stomach lurched at the sight of the wires pulsing from the wound. Blood spilled around the edges as they tore the skin further. Zim shivered, curling up tightly as his claws dug into the sheets. Steven slowly sat on the bed near his head and reached, touching one of his hands. Zim grabbed it, gripping his wrist tightly as he cried out again. Steve made a face, whistling through his teeth at the painful grasp but not moving.

Both men stared as a tight bundle of wires emerged from the insult and pushed outwards. They unfurled slowly and a bloody piece of metal dropped to the bed with a soft thump. Dib picked it up and wiped a thump across its surface before holding it up. A spent bullet, warped from it's travels. Dib glanced up at Steve.

The wires retreated gradually back into the wound and knitted together tightly. Dib replaced the bandages as the alien calmed down, grip slacking until his fingers fell away from the man's arm. Steven reclaimed his hand and rubbed his wrist sorely. Bruising was already forming.

"I'm going to stay with him awhile," Dib said, sitting back.

"I'll bring your coffee in," Steve replied, getting up and leaving the room. He returned to hand Dib his mug, then left them alone. Dib set the cup on the bedside table and moved to a chair across the room, making himself comfortable. He watched the alien silently.


	17. Chapter 17

Steven peeked into the room after a few hours and Dib looked up from his phone.

"Hey, I'm making spaghetti, you in?"

Dib rose slowly, stretching his legs and pocketing his phone as he yawned. "Yeah. I don't think he's waking up anytime soon."

He followed Steve and leaned on the wall breaking the living room up from the kitchen, watching as he stirred a pot of sauce.

"Smells good. Just like mom used to make?"

"Mom would be turning in her grave if she knew I was making sauce from a can," Steve chuckled, tossing the jar in the trash under the sink. "What about you, you cook?"

"Nah, Liss did all that. I'm on a ramen and takeout diet these days."

"See, that's what you get for not being an independent man and relying on a woman to take care of you."

Dib grinned. Steve had a good sense of humor, he could crack a joke at a baby's funeral and somehow make it classy.

"Mr. Independent poster boy here," Dib chuckled, crossing his arms. "Too proud to find a woman."

"Or maybe I'm gay," Steve glanced over his shoulder and covered his mouth with a hand, eyes big.

"So that's why you have me for coffee so much. You could have just said."

"Your scruffy ass, no thanks," Steve scoffed, looking back to the stove as he turned down the heat. "I have better taste than that."

"I'm offended."

"Well you're in the right year for it. Besides, middle-aged divorced dad with a savior complex isn't exactly alluring."

"Gee, thanks. Guess I'll cancel that date I have later on." Dib smiled at being called a dad. It meant a lot to be acknowledged in that small way, even though his daughter wasn't with him.

"Oh go on, you shitter. Date, puh!"

Dib shook his head and pushed off the wall to help with setting the table when something touched the back of his neck, sending an involuntary chill down his spine. He reached for his weapon automatically but a well-placed kick landed in the back of his knee, driving him to the floor. Steven turned from the stove and drew his gun from his side instantly as claws wrapped around Dib's throat, pricking his skin. Dib held his hands out at his sides, carefully adjusting his kneel so he wouldn't loose his balance.

"Let him go," Steve said, both hands on his weapon as he aimed at the Irken. "Just let him go and get out of here."

"Why were you following me?" Zim growled, his voice startling Dib. He'd almost forgotten the alien could talk.

"We got a report that you'd attacked someone and killed some dogs."

"Fucking dogs," Zim spat, grip tightening. Dib felt a trickle of blood slide slowly down his throat to his collarbone.

"I didn't attack any humans," Zim continued. "Dogs attacked me."

"Okay," Steven replied. "You can go, we aren't holding you here."

"Why are you following me?" Zim demanded again. Dib could feel the cold, sharp point return to the back of his neck at the base of his skull. A blade, likely. Maybe a letter opener, if you're thinking creatively.

"You killed those people," Dib said quietly, staring at Steven's shoes. "I had to stop you."

"Why?"

"Because it's my job to help people." _Savior complex_ ran through his mind and he almost smiled, a nervous reaction.

"Disgraceful _job_ ," he hissed. "You got in my way. They deserved to die."

"Maybe," Dib replied, "But killing them wouldn't change anything for you. You were done with them."

Zim was quiet for a moment before digging his claws in deeper. Dib squeezed his eyes shut a moment, teeth grinding.

"Come on, alien, he saved your fucking life!" Steve yelled, shifting his weight. He couldn't get a safe shot at his angle.

"You humans are all the same!" Zim snapped back. "There's no use in you. Filthy, worthless creatures."

"Alright," Steven replied, "Alright but that fucking human right there saved your life twice now and I don't doubt he'd do it again. Are you really going to ignore that to make some broad statement?"

Zim was silent for a long while. Dib could feel his alien stare boring into him. He could almost feel him thinking, debating. Steve lowered his gun after awhile and straightened.

"Why are you here?" he asked quietly.

"To kill you all," Zim replied and released Dib, stepping back from him slowly. Dib put a hand to his throat and got to his feet, turning to look at the alien.

"Then why aren't you?" Dib asked. The alien shook his head, backing away. He sat down on the couch and looked down at the alien blade in his hand. Dib glanced at Steve and went to sit in a chair across from the alien. Steve slid his gun back into its place and went back to stirring the sauce, attempting to save the burnt bottom layer.

"I was disconnected," Zim said, turning the blade over in his hands, eyes fixed on the gleaming anodized-appearing blade.

"What does that mean?" Dib asked, leaning forward to look at him. Zim slid the blade into a place in his boot and turned his bandaged arm over, pulling the wrapping away from his wrist. He held it up to show Dib an ugly scar across his wrist.

"We are programmed for duties," Zim said, looking at Dib darkly. "We are droids of the empire, nothing more, nothing less. If we become obsolete or compromised, we are disconnected and destroyed." He lowered his arm and touched the scar, gaze distant. "Remotely. This planet is too far from mine for retrieval so I was set for termination."

"What happened?" Dib asked, lowering his hand and glancing at the blood on it.

"I cut out the destruct devise."

"What do you mean, disconnected?"

"Communications with my home planet have been blocked," Zim turned his arm, looking over the odd human bandaging. "I cannot contact them nor they I. I am dead."

"I'm sorry," Dib said quietly.

Zim looked up at him, gaze hard and unreadable. "Why? You should be glad for my failures. If not for that you'd and your kind would be dead."

"I'm sorry you can't go home."

The alien looked into the distance and rubbed a thumb over his wrist absently.

"I have no purpose here. I have no mission, no duties. I am without meaning, without a reason to exist. I do not know what to do outside of my own petty urges and doings. This isn't what I am programmed for."

"You exacted revenge on those who hurt you," Dib replied. "That was a purpose, something to make you-"

"Feel useful, if only to myself." Zim fixed him in his gaze again. "Your attempts to understand me are futile, human. You cannot comprehend my species nor our psychology, our wiring."

Dib nodded. "Fair enough. What will you do now?"

"My empire has no use for me and I have no purpose outside of their will. I am obsolete, and it is their will I perish."

"But you rebelled," Dib said. "You didn't let them destroy you."

"A foolish notion of self-worth constructed from too much time among your kind," Zim replied.

"How long have you been here?" Dib asked curiously. "I was a child when I first saw you."

"Indeed. I remember your scent. I saw you. I have been here forty of your Earth-years."

"Forty? How old are you?"

"I am what you might call 'middle-aged'."

"Middle-aged ends at fifty, you can't have come here when you were a child?"

"Yet again you confine me to your human thought processes, your narrow concepts of time. Think outside of your own knowing."

"You don't age the same as we do."

Zim looked at Steven as he stepped into the room.

"Food is done," he said. "Do you.. It's spaghetti."

"I do not consume your human foods." He hesitated, "But thank you."

"What do you eat?" Dib asked.

"I can tolerate your sugary substances, which is found in most of your plant life."

"Fruit?"

"Yes."

"I have oranges," Steve offered. Zim nodded and rose from the couch. The three moved to the kitchen and Dib began plating spaghetti as Steve retrieved an few orange from the fridge. Zim sat at the table slowly and reached to take the fruit when Steven set it before him.

"My food supply ran up long ago," Zim said as he sliced around the orange with a claw. Dib set Steven's plate down and then sat with his own, glancing at his friend. Steve glanced back and sat down to eat.

"This was to only be a twenty-year mission," Zim continued after a moment of calculating human years.

"Things went wrong?" Dib prompted.

"Things didn't go as planned. Then things went wrong."

"Why Earth?"

Zim smirked, eyes fixed on his orange as he carefully peeled it apart. "You're a species of lesser potential. You wouldn't make good servants, nor are your industrial capabilities high enough to be worth preserving this dying planet. You are killing yourselves and your planet anyways so we decided to move the process along and rebuild here for ourselves."

"You decided to destroy an entire planet for your own selfish purposes?" Dib set his fork down.

Zim looked up at him. "Don't, human. You will not sit there and tell me you are appalled by our actions when your own kind destroys each other based upon the color of your skin, or your personal beliefs, or your placement on differing land masses."

"Humanity isn't perfect-"

"Far from it. You slaughter other creatures on your planet by the masses, for consumption, for creating objects for you to wear, for the sheer sport of it. You have no respect for any other beings but yourselves. No loyalty to your own kind, no care for your own planet. You are rapidly destroying yourselves. We are doing you a favor."

"Are?" Dib straightened. "You failed your.. mission? You said your leaders were going to destroy you."

"Foolish human," Zim replied as he finally reached the meat of the orange and began crushing the liquid from it. "You think it ends with me? They will send another. They will send an army."

Dib stood and placed his hands on the table. "You have to stop them."

"Why do you think I would do such a thing?" the alien paused to glare up at him.

Dib had no answer. He sat back down slowly and stared at his plate. Steven kept eating quietly.

An army. He'd seen what just one Irken was capable of, but an army..


	18. Chapter 18

Steve stood from the table and carried his dishes to the sink, then reached to turn the radio on to kill the silence. Zim nibbled the flattered orange flesh and Dib just stared at his plate, lost in thought. The Irken's antennae twitched and he looked up suddenly, cocking his head. He rose and stepped over to Steve, pushing him aside and reaching to touch the radio's dial. He turned it a few degrees back the way Steve had been flipping and then increased the volume. Dib turned in his seat to watch.

"What is that?" Dib asked. It sounded like just white noise to him. Zim didn't reply, tilting his head. After a few moments he straightened and turned to them.

"They are here," he said.

"Who?" Dib rose slowly, a hand on the table for support. Zim started to leave the room but Dib grabbed his arm as he passed. He turned on him, eyes narrowed.

"Zim, who is here?" Dib asked again, louder. Zim pulled his arm away, glaring.

"My _kind_ ," he almost spat the last word. He continued into the living room.

"What, why? Already? Why are they here? You have to do something," Dib demanded as he followed after him but stopped. The alien stood silently by the TV with his back to him, unmoving. His antennae were slack against his skull, quivering slightly.

Dib approached him slowly. "Zim?"

"They're here," he repeated quietly.

"You said that." Dib stepped around him slowly to look into his face. His gaze was distant, skin pale. He blinked and focused on the human before him.

"My.. My leaders are coming."

"What does that mean?" Dib asked quickly, the alien's words stabbing fear into his chest. "What are they going to do?"

"I.." he turned his face away, head tilted towards the TV.

"Zim!"

"They are going to claim this planet," he looked at him again, straightening. "They're bringing an army this time."

"An ar.. an army, a fucking army, how do we deal with that? What are we supposed to do about that?" his voice grew louder with each word.

"Dib," Steven said quietly, leaning against the wall by the kitchen entrance.

"What makes you think you need to do something?" Zim snapped back. "What even gives you the right to think you _can_ do anything about it, human?"

Dib shook his head and turned away, folding his hands on the back of his head as he paced across the room. "We have to call someone. I'll call the office. The army, _our_ army."

"You won't stand a chance."

Dib turned to look at him again, dropping his arms. "What do I do?" he asked helplessly.

"Nothing." Zim looked down at the TV.

"How do you know all of this?" Steven asked.

"I can hear the transmissions."

"But I turned the radio off."

Zim shook his head. "This.. Your technology gives off emissions that you humans can't pick up."

"The TV? Like infrasound?"

"Somewhat. Our technology is more powerful than your's so our signals bleed into everything. My PAK is wired to it even though I'm disconnected, so I pick it up."

"So you can hear your leader's transmissions through my TV that's turned off?"

Zim turned to look at him. "You can believe or not human, it makes no difference to me."

"Okay," Dib lifted his hands, "Okay, so what are they saying? They're coming here to kill us all and take our planet?"

"No," Zim glanced over his shoulder. "Many of you will be enslaved to assist with the tear down of this planet's structures and the rebuild of their desires. Then you will all be terminated."

"That's.. That's just.." Dib stammered, shaking his head. "You can't let them do this."

"Why are you under the impression that I wouldn't allow this?" Zim asked. "I can't stop this. I will be found and killed along with you."

"But you're one of them, surely you can do something!"

"You are one of your kind. You are one of the murderers, the rapists, the molesters, the war mongers. Why don't you stop them?"

"Because my species isn't a hive mind," Dib replied angrily. "I do my job to stop the horrible people but I can't control them!"

"You don't stop anything. You hunt them down and punish them after the fact. Hive mind or not, I am not a part of them anymore, and even when I was I had no control over them. I am but a vessel of their will, I will not stand in the way of that. Do not think that because you extended your human concepts of compassion to me that I owe you or your planet anything."

Dib stared at him and nodded slowly. "Of course."

"I think you should leave," Steven spoke up. Zim glanced at him and nodded.

"Alright." He stepped towards the door but paused to look down at Steven's phone on the coffee table. He leaned and picked it up, looking it over.

"Hey," Steve moved towards him but stopped when he drew a wire from his PAK and held it to the phone. It split at the end and a dozen tiny offsprings snaked into the phone's charger and headphone ports. The phone lit up and flashed a few different screens briefly before going dark again. Zim's gaze fixed on it, eyes dulling as his antennae quivered. He began speaking an alien tongue, punctuated by clicks and rolls. Dib and Steve watched him silently. He cocked his head listening, then spoke again quickly. The Irken barked a laugh and turned to look at the humans, the wire sliding away. His PAK clicked and beeped twice. He tossed the phone down and smiled.

"Goodbye, humans. Good luck."

"Where are you going to go?" Dib asked.

"To prepare for my leaders' arrival." He grinned as he turned and flung the door open, stepping out.

"What happened," Steve asked, staring after him.

"I think he reconnected," Dib replied slowly.


	19. Chapter 19

Dib stepped outside to look up at the twilight sky. He couldn't see the stars behind the veil of city light pollution. He wondered if he would see an alien spaceship entering the atmosphere.

"What are you going to do?" Steven asked as he descended the porch steps and stood in the small backyard with him.

"I don't know," Dib replied. "I guess I'll fight."

"One man against an alien army?"

"Sure," he glanced at Steve and forced a smile. Steve didn't return it, staring up at the orange-tinted sky.

"I wonder how long."

"Probably soon," Steve replied. "Should we warn people?"

"What good would it do? You've seen what he alone can do, imagine an army of him. He's right, we don't stand a chance. Besides, who would believe us?"

"No one."

"I'm going home to feed Ellie," Dib said, checking his phone for the time. "She's probably starved by now."

"Dude, your cat is like, twenty pounds. I don't think she'll be starving any time soon."

Dib couldn't help but laugh. "Do you even know how cats work?"

"No. I'm not ashamed of that."

Dib shook his head, smiling. "We're all going to die and you're fat shaming my cat."

Steve shrugged a shoulder. "I could make a tasteful thick pussy joke."

"You're a fucking mess."

"You always know just what to say." Steve grinned. Dib shook his head and started to leave but Steve caught his arm, then promptly released him. Dib paused to look back at him.

"Hey, Dib," he rubbed the back of his neck and dropped his gaze. "Uh, I wanted to thank you."

"For what?"

"For.. Being a friend to me, all this time."

"Hey man, you were there for me through all of my shit, divorce and.. all."

"Yeah.. Yeah."

Dib turned to face him, sensing something important. "What is it, Steven?"

His friend smiled and looked up at him. "Just wanted to say thanks, and all. Your friendship means a lot to me." He stared talking fast. "I know you're not.. I mean, you were married and you're, uh.. Well just it means a lot to me that you're here. And you mean a lot to me."

"Oh," Dib raised his brows and quickly put on a more serious face to hide the surprise. "Oh, yeah, no I got you. Um, yeah I'm not.. I don't, uh, I mean," he cleared his throat. "You're a good friend to me. Just a friend, you know. But I'm glad you told me."

Steven nodded and Dib reached out to bump his arm. He glanced up and offered a small smile.

"Thanks. Just wanted you to know. Not to make things uncomfortable or anything," he laughed and then coughed to cover it up awkwardly.

"No, I got it, thanks. I'm.. uh, I'm sorry. That I'm not-"

"No, don't apologize, I knew. I know. I shouldn't have said anything," Steve replied quickly.

"It's ok. Really. I'm glad you did."

The two men stood in a lengthy silence, gazing up at the sky, before finally Dib gave him a nudge and turned to go. He fished his keys from his pocket and let himself out of the backyard through the gate.

* * *

Ellie didn't greet him at the door when he got home, sulking in another room. Dropping his keys on the counter, he took down two cans of food and mixed them into her bowl with a little dry food. She ran at the sound of the cans but ignored him as she ate, keeping to traditional cat pissy-ness. Dib gave her a rub anyways before carrying himself to the bedroom and stripping out of his dirty clothes. He stood naked in the doorway, looking around the room slowly. All the familiar items looked so foreign under the light of impending doom. Everything seemed so small, so unimportant. A few things suddenly seemed very important. Dib padded down the hall and grabbed a towel from the bathroom, wrapping it around his waist on his way to the kitchen. He took the ultrasound off the fridge and turned it over, finding his phone in his coat pocket and dialing the number on the back.

"Hello?" Her voice, just as beautiful as it ever had been. The cast of sadness about her after the baby had somehow made her more beautiful, if not tragically so.

Dib's throat caught and he knew she was about to hang up. "Liss."

"Who is this?" she asked after a pause.

"It's Dib," he replied, then quickly, "I just wanted to say I'm sorry."

"What?"

"I'm sorry for everything that happened. You never deserved any of that."

"Dib, don't do this," she sounded exasperated. Exhausted. Dib wondered if she ever felt rested these days. "It's over, don't do this."

"I just wanted you to know that I don't blame you. For any of it. I want you to be happy."

She didn't respond and Dib wondered if she'd hung up. Finally, "I'm trying. I'm finding myself, and what makes me happy. You should too."

He smiled as tears spilled down his cheeks, catching in the stubble of his abandoned face. "Thank you. Bye, Liss."

"Bye, Dib." She hung up and he set the phone on the counter. He turned the ultrasound over again and brushed a thumb over it before placing it atop his phone and going to the bathroom to shower. As he lathered his shaving cream and drew the razor across his chin, peering into the anti-fogging mirror beneath the showerhead, he thought about these everyday little things. What do they mean when you don't have every day anymore?

He stepped out of the shower feeling somewhat refreshed and dressed for bed. There was nothing else he could do tonight.


	20. Chapter 20

Ringing woke him early that morning and he untangled himself from the bedsheets to run for the phone, grabbing it off the counter and answering in a sleepy haze.

"Turn on the news."

"Huh?"

"It's Steven. Turn on your news."

Dib carried the phone to the living room and turned his TV on, flicking channels until he found a station.

 _'NASA officials confirm the unidentified object is on a direct course for Earth but they decline to say what it is at this point'_

Dib turned it off as the reporter went on to say that official action was being taken to deter the 'object' from entering the Earth's atmosphere.

"They have no idea what's coming," Steven said. They would find out soon enough. Dib hung up and got dressed quickly, dumping food into Ellie's bowl before pulling his coat on and heading out the door. He called Steven back once he was on the road.

"Where would something large enough to carry an alien army land?" he asked, driving as fast as he dared. He briefly wondered if he should call out of work for the next day, Monday. Would they even be here still tomorrow? Did it matter?

"An airport? Helicopter pad?"

"No, no, bigger than that."

"Maybe a field? How do we know they're even coming here? Earth is huge, man."

"I think they will. He's here." Dib passed a slow-moving semi on the highway, thankful for the sparse Sunday-morning traffic.

"There's a big state park near Middletown. Wide open space. It's about three hours from here."

"You think that's our best bet?"

"It's worth a shot. We can't do nothing."

"Alright, I'll be there shortly." He hung up and tossed his phone on the passenger seat. Dib turned the radio on.

 _'NASA has confirmed over the last hour that the object has stopped outside our atmosphere somewhere over the east coast and appears to be.. hovering, yes hovering in space'_

He turned the volume up.

 _'Hovering? Do you think we have some space visitors, Sharon?'_ the local reporter chuckled.

 _'Nothing has been confirmed'_ Sharon replied seriously. _'We are asking that no one panic and keep tuned to your local news station for updates.'_

 _'Okay.. Well that was Sharon Venible from NASA headquarters in D.C. We'll keep you updated on-'_

Dib turned the radio off and leaned forward to look out the windshield, glancing at the clear blue sky as long as he dared while driving. Hovering. He leaned back and sped up.

* * *

"What's the plan?" Steven asked, buckling himself in as Dib pulled away from his house.

"Try to meet them when they land, I guess."

"And then?"

"I don't know."

"Maybe we should try to find him first?"

"I think he'll be there," Dib tried to relax his white-knuckle grip on the wheel to no avail.

"Right." They didn't say much else for the remainder of the ride, each taking turns glancing out the window throughout the drive. They made good time on the highway and Dib pulled over on the Middletown exit to look up directions to the park. Steven turned on the radio.

 _'-evacuation of the city is in progress. Officials are asking residents to be as calm and orderly as possible and use routes 78 and 278. Please do not stop to collect any personal belongings or pets.'_

Dib looked up quickly, almost dropping his phone. "What?"

"Shh," Steve waved a hand and turned it up.

 _'Again, a full evacuation is in effect for much of lower New York City and Manhattan as multiple unidentified aircraft are currently entering the area. A severe terrorist alert is in effect. Please tune to your local station for specifics.'_

Dib circled back onto the highway heading East, passing a fast food sign and thinking how much he'd love to stop for breakfast. Or just stop and pretend they weren't driving towards an alien invasion.

The radio fizzled and died out to static as they drove and Dib turned it off.

"Look," Steven said as they drew nearer to the city. The two lanes heading in the other direction were rapidly becoming more dense until traffic appeared at a standstill.

"Fuck," Dib breathed, changing lanes to pass another semi that had slowed almost to a stop, likely questioning his delivery route by now. He glanced over the median again to see vehicles being abandoned, people fleeing on foot.

"Watch out!" Steven grabbed the wheel and Dib snapped back in time to swerve, avoiding an on-coming car. He quickly pulled onto the shoulder and both men stared at the vehicles driving in their direction, going the wrong way on this side of the highway.

"I think we should hoof it." Steven said, checking the weapon at his side before zipping his coat up. Dib agreed and both got out, hopping over the guard rail at the side of the road and hurrying towards the city, dodging people who had just the opposite in mind as they fled.

They passed a destroyed police barrier that had been set in hops of deterring anyone from driving into the city. No problems there.

"Where are we?" Dib asked, stopping to breathe as he looked around the chaos once they were inside the city. An alien craft sailed overhead, quickly followed by another. He stared up at them until they disappeared from sight, mouth open.

"There," Steve pointed and jogged across the street to look at a map kiosk. Dib glanced left and right, then crossed as well, not necessarily wanting to be run down.

"Look, here," Steve pointed at the red dot indicating where they were. He glanced the map over and moved his finger.

"Central Park," Dib said, stepping a little closer as someone brushed past them, arms loaded with bags of belongings. "Maybe they landed there?"

Steven glanced at him. "It has wide open space." He traced the map with a finger and then tapped. "We can take 72nd all the way, that's the next street over."

Dib nodded and they started moving quickly. He jumped at the sound of glass breaking and looked up to see a few people swarming an electronics store, grabbing what they could and starting fights over TVs and iPads. After all, what's a major disaster without a little looting.

72nd street looked straight from a movie scene. Abandoned vehicles littered the street, humans pouring over and between them like frightened cattle as they abandoned all civility and sanity. Steve raised an arm to point.

"Look, there he is!"

The Irken stood atop a bus, dressed in a uniform of dark magentas and purples, the collar high and stiff around his neck. He held a weapon to the sky, shouting in his mother tongue. Dib ran towards him without thinking and Steven pushed through people to keep up.

"Zim!" Dib shouted as the Irken jumped down from the bus. He reached and grabbed the alien's arm and he turned, raising the weapon and striking the human in the chest. Dib fell back against an abandoned taxi with a grunt, sliding to the ground with the breath knocked from him. He looked up at the alien. Purple eyes glared down at him, a somewhat feminine voice snarling as he stared, bewildered. She raised her weapon but Steve ran into her from the side, knocking her off balance just long enough for Dib to get up and both of them to flee into the crowd.

"That wasn't him," Dib shouted over the chaos, jostled as they moved against the swarm.

"I noticed! You okay?"

"Yeah." Dib didn't look back as he heard the alien shouting again, barely audible over the screams of the panicked New Yorkers. Another Irken leaped atop a van on the opposite side of the street, waving his weapon and howling, egging on the mass hysteria as humans clawed over each other to get away from him. Dib and Steven skirted that mess and hopped the small concrete barrier into Central Park.

"Where do we go?" Dib wheezed, leaning a hand against a tree as he grasped at breath, lungs almost bursting in the chilly air.

"Sheep Meadow should be straight ahead, through those trees. Let's try there first."

They moved quickly. The sounds of the city chaos dimmed behind them as they moved forward into the park. The trees soon let out into the beautifully-manicured clearing. It was void except for a few scampering humans, desperate for an escape.

"Shit," Dib cursed and jogged towards one of the pathways leading deeper into the park, Steven following alongside. Something hit him from behind and he stumbled, falling. Steve reached down to help him but looked up at a strange, clicking laughter. An Irken approached them slowly, rifle-like weapon in hands as he said something and laughed again. Dib got to his feet and both men backed away from the alien. He raised the weapon to them, grinning.

"Wait, I'm looking for Zim!" Dib said quickly, hands held up defensively. The Irken paused and lowered his weapon, scowling. He stepped forward quickly and raised the weapon, striking Dib across the head and sending him to the ground with a snarl. Steven grabbed his arm but he shoved him away, raising the weapon to bring down on Dib's head, growling something angrily. Dib threw his arms over his head and flinched at the sharp retort of gunshot. He felt the whoosh of air as a body fell beside him and looked up. The Irken lay twitching and inches from his face and he quickly scooted away, eyes wide. Steven stared down at the dying alien, gun held out in front of him in shaking hands. The alien jerked in spasm, dark green blood poring from the hole in his skull. His eyes rolled, teeth clicking together as an extension slid from his PAK and stabbed at the ground in Dib's direction. Dib got to his feet slowly and pressed the back of his hand against his mouth as he watched the alien jerk, then fall still. His PAK whirred like an overworked computer, then beeped loudly as the swirling pink orbs went dark.

"I.. killed it," Steven breathed, slowly lowering his gun. Dib stepped over to him and took his arm, pulling him away.

"Keep moving, quickly," Dib said and Steve did as told, holding his weapon out at his side as they ran. He coughed a few times, choking down the sick that threatened to expel itself. Dib stared ahead, thoughts pounding with his feet as they made their way towards the center of the park.


	21. Chapter 21

The leaf-strewn trail let out into the sweeping green lawn. Dib stopped and looked across the park, eyes immediately drawn to the massive alien ship. They'd arrived just in time to feel the small tremor as the vessel set down in the grass at the top of the hill. Several Irken soldiers were already in formation awaiting its arrival. The two men watched as the capsule quieted and eventually a ramp appeared, melding out of the hull as it lowered slowly. The guards moved closer and turned to face outwards, encircling the ship with weapons raised. Dib started to move towards it when a familiar figure caught his eye.

Zim climbed the hill to the far right of them, emerging from a different trail almost at the same time as the humans. He didn't seem to notice them as he approached the ship. A guard spotted him and raised her weapon but Zim called out in his mother tongue. He stopped before the ramp as it touched the ground and knelt down on one knee, placing a fist to his chest and lowering his head. A tall, slim figure emerged from the darkness of the ship's interior, descending the steps slowly. It raised a hand briefly to shield its eyes from the glaring sun. In its other hand it held a curved, silvery staff. The being's height was far superior to the other Irkens, exceeding even Dib's lanky height by at least four feet. It's deep heliotrope uniform, shot through with accents of amethyst and ruby, cloaked its body completely, extravagant sleeves draping over its hands, the hem falling about its feet and swaying as it walked. Dib could ascertain no gender based upon what little he'd seen of the Irken species.

The leader stepped down onto the grass and looked around, carmine eyes still squinted against the light. Its segmented antennae were slicked back against its skull gracefully, unmoving as it turned its head. Its gaze fell on Zim and it stepped forward, bringing the staff before it as the guards stepped aside. Zim spoke in his tongue and lifted a hand, palm exposed. The leader clicked in response and tapped his hand with the staff. Zim got to his feet, his back to the humans, and looked up at his Tallest. He said something and the Tallest waved a hand dismissively, starting to step away but Zim moved before them again, speaking quickly. A soldier stepped forward and grabbed his arm, pulling him out of the way. Zim yanked free and grabbed the Tallest's cloak. Dib could see his lips moving quickly, his voice hushed in fervor. The leader swung the staff around and struck the smaller alien away with a sudden snarl. Dib started to move after him but the alien pushed himself up and moved back towards the Tallest, stumbling as he called out loudly. The Tallest turned again, staring at him as he scrambled up and stopped before it again. Two guards stepped forward but the leader raised a hand, staring at Zim intently as he spoke, alien words spilling rapidly. The leader replied quietly and Zim shook his head, waving an arm around them. The leader shook their head, turning away to continue on towards the city. Zim stepped forward but the guard grabbed him. He fought away, snarling, and another soldier stepped up to strike him in the back, driving him to the ground. Zim struggled to get away but one of the guards pinned him down and drew a blade. He brought it down swiftly and the alien cried out.

"Stop!" Dib shouted, breaking away from Steven to run towards them. Steve lurched after him, reaching in attempt to stop him, fingers missing his coat by an inch. The guards looked up quickly and the leader turned again, antennae lifting just slightly at the human voice. The guards stood and raised their weapons, shouting at him. He hesitated at the sight of the weapons, reaching for his own. One of the soldiers shouted again and fired, the red laser-like discharge passing Dib with enough wind to raise a chill up his arm. Dib turned quickly. Steve stumbled, his own drawn weapon falling from his hand as he dropped to his knees. Dib dropped with him and crawled towards his friend, reaching to catch him as he fell forward. He lowered his friend to the grass gently on his back. Steven stared at the sky, lips parted and moving slightly as his hands reached up to his chest.

"Steve, Steven," Dib saw the decimating wound and grabbed one of his hands, leaning in close and squeezing as Steven's green eyes found his, swimming with confusion and fear. Behind him, Zim turned over and grabbed one of the soldiers' legs as she moved towards Dib, pulling her off balance. The guard growled and brought the weapon down on his face with an audible crack. Zim fell to the ground again and kicked out, dodging as the soldier brought the weapon down again, leaving a deep dent in the grass and soil.

"It's okay, it's alright," Dib choked, holding Steven's hand tightly as he shuddered once, then grew still. He saw the life leave his friend's eyes and released his hand as they glazed over, getting to his feet quickly and rushing towards the aliens. Zim scrambled up and placed himself between the soldiers and the human, holding a hand out behind him. Dib stopped halfway up the hill and stared at them. The Irken growled something at the soldiers and one snapped back. The Tallest moved over to them and the soldiers stepped back, weapons trained on the invader as the leader stepped before him. Zim looked up at his leader, swaying on his feet but standing tall. The leader looked at Dib, then back down at Zim, saying something. Zim nodded, lowering his arm and replying quietly. The Tallest glanced at Dib again, eyes narrowed, and shook his head, waving a hand as he said something dismissively, starting to turn away. Zim growled and grabbed his leader's slim arm, claws digging in as he jerked them back to look at him. The leader stared down at him in surprise a moment before swinging the staff again against his head, sending the invader tumbling down the hill. Dib ran to meet him, dropping to his knees beside the alien and turning him onto his side carefully. Soldiers approached them, weapons raised. Dib pressed his hands flat against the flowing stab in the alien's chest, leaning in close to say his name. Zim's hand lifted and grabbed onto his wrist, his eyes fluttering open to look up at the human. They stared at each other a long moment before the alien wheezed and coughed, blood spilling from his lips as his hand slid away from Dib's. His eyes dulled before slipping shut and Dib shouted at him. He was later unsure if he'd said 'Zim' or 'Steven'.

The human became aware of a presence and looked up to see the leader standing before him, staring down at them fixedly. Its claws were wrapped around the silvery staff, ready to strike the human. Dib lifted his arms, bowing his head as he had seen Zim do, and begged mercy. The Tallest gazed down at his hands smeared with red and green and lowered the staff slowly, clicking. Dib lifted his head to look up at the alien ruler, lowering his arms to his sides as the leader reached down and touched the back of his head.

 _Human. I have seen much of your planet, and yet so little. Your compassion speaks to the aptitude of your species. Enough here, little human._

The leader straightened, hand sliding away, and said something to the soldiers. They backed away from the human and then turned, following their leader towards the ship. Dib looked down at the dying alien before getting to his feet and running after them. One of the soldiers turned and grabbed him as he tried to slip past, throwing him to the ground and raising his weapon. The Tallest turned and waved him away. The soldier backed down but kept his weapon at the ready. Dib rose slowly and looked up at the alien leader.

"Take him with you," he said, not knowing if they could even understand him. "Please. He will die here."

The leader considered him a long moment before nodding, saying something to one of the soldiers and turning to ascend the steps into the ship. Two of the soldiers stepped past Dib and leaned down, carefully picking Zim up and carried him towards the craft. Dib watched as they passed and took him out of sight. He stepped back when the ship started up and lifted from the ground, ascending into the sky slowly. He watched until it was out of sight, other, smaller alien crafts like the ones he'd seen earlier passing overhead as they followed. He sank to the ground and sat in the park alone, watching the sky until the sun slid away, leaving him in the dark until emergency personnel began to arrive.


	22. Chapter 22

Dib glanced at the photo on his desk and smiled, reaching to pick up the small frame. If he looked hard enough, it almost seemed like his daughter's mostly-formed face was smiling back. He placed the photo into the box and placed the lid tightly on top. He stacked it next to the door with two other copier-room boxes and picked up his coat from the back of his chair, sliding it on slowly as he took one last look around his office. The barren walls, something most would find disquieting after spending years dedicated to a career, were a welcomed comfort after spending so much time within them. A rap on his door drew him from his reflection and he smiled.

"William, come on in."

The young man smiled and stepped into the room. "I wanted to come by before you left, thank you for everything."

"It's been great working with you," Dib reached to shake the young man's hand. He'd apprenticed the youth to take his place when he left the force and the day had finally come to hand the seat over. "You'll do great."

"Thank you, sir." William pocketed his hands and looked around, rocking on his heels. "May I ask you something before you go, sir?"

"Of course." Dib slung his scarf around his neck and shifted his shoulders, feeling the strain in them from years of hunching over files.

"I heard you were involved, you know, during the attack." 'The attack' is what they were calling the alien invasion. Not much of an attack, really. More of a terrifying close encounter with some unfortunate casualties. Many people denied it even happened, except for those who saw it, of course.

"Yeah?"

"Well.. I was just wondering.. I mean, you actually spoke to them, right? What was it like? I've always wanted to ask.."

"That was ten years ago, Will," Dib replied. "I don't remember much of it."

"Oh, of course. I'm sorry sir, I shouldn't have asked."

Dib smiled and clapped his shoulder before pulling him into a brief hug. He stepped back and nodded goodbye before picking up one of the boxes and making his way out of the office. He'd send for the other two later, right now he just wanted to get home and celebrate his early retirement from the force. He had made the decision to work from home not long after 'the attack', but it took him nine years to actually take the steps do it.

Dib slid the box into the passenger seat and started up his car, pulling out of the parking deck and starting towards home. He sometimes thought about Ellie, missing her demanding meows as soon as he stepped in the door. She'd been a good cat, right up until the end of her days at the ripe old age of twelve. He supposed he could have had a few more years with her if he'd fed her less canned food and maybe pushed her to exercise more but he'd loved his fat kitty just the way she was. He sometimes thought about adopting another, but the timing just never seemed right so he came home to an empty house every night.

He unlocked his door and stepped inside, setting the box on his modest kitchen table and peeking in the fridge for dinner. Nothing particularly appealed to him and he went into the living room to turn the nightly news on. His tennis shoes caught his eye by the sliding patio door and he decided to take a walk.

* * *

The evening air was crisp and chilly, but not unpleasantly so. His breath puffed in front of his face and he buried his hands deep in his coat pockets for warmth, glancing up at the sky. The moon cut through the smoggy haze like a thin curve of silver, reminding him of something but he wasn't sure what. He found himself heading towards the park, and nodded at a couple as he passed. They barely noticed him, caught up in the throes of young love. He smiled to himself as he turned onto a path, comfortably-lit by the evenly spaced street lamps. He hadn't been here in years, having almost forgotten the park existed even though he lived within walking distance of it. He spotted a bench up ahead near a split in the path and headed towards it, wanting to sit and enjoy the evening. He noticed a figure heading towards the bench as well and decided to let them have it, passing it by. The hooded figure stopped as he approached and he slowed his steps as well, glancing to see if he could gracefully take another route without seeming suspicious. The trail split was far enough behind him to be out of the way though and he kept moving forward, freeing one hand from his pocket and resting it at the front of his coat. His gun was nestled in one of his inner pockets. He nodded politely to the person as he passed and they turned to watch him. Dib reached into his coat and stopped a few meters away, turning to look at them. The being seemed to stare at him, though he couldn't see their face, before stepping towards him slowly.

"Back off pal," Dib said, closing his hand around the handle of his weapon and thumbing the safety. The hooded figure stopped and looked around before lifting a gloved hand to pull back the hood. Dib took a step back quickly, squinting. The figure stepped into the circle of light by a street lamp and Dib's eyes widened. His hand dropped in disbelief.

"Zim?"

The alien stepped closer. An unsightly scar ran across his face, drawing Dib's memory of what the alien had endured for him. He stopped before the man.

"Hello, human." Zim smiled up at him, crimson eyes glistening in the light. Dib stared down at him, lost for words. He reached and wrapped his arms around the alien, drawing him against himself and holding him tightly.


End file.
